Before calculators existed, NASA engineers and astronauts used a tool called a slide rule to solve problems and plan space missions. It looks like a ruler with three parts. The top and bottom stay still, while the middle and a clear piece slide back and forth. By lining up numbers, people could multiply, divide, and find square roots. It may look simple, but this clever tool helped send humans to the moon and played a big part in early space travel.
Before calculators existed, NASA engineers and astronauts used a tool called a slide rule to solve problems and plan space missions. It looks like a ruler with three parts. The top and bottom stay still, while the middle and a clear piece slide back and forth. By lining up numbers, people could multiply, divide, and find square roots. It may look simple, but this clever tool helped send humans to the moon and played a big part in early space travel.