It’s absolutely amazing that the computers used to guide the Apollo 11 mission to the moon were no more powerful than a pocket calculator or a mobile phone.

The crucial role that the lunar programme played in the development of modern computing should not be under-estimated. Learning from the lunar programme led to the development of safety-critical systems and the practice of software engineering to program those systems.

So it can be said with some confidence that much of this knowledge gleaned from the Apollo 11 lunar programme forms the basis of modern computing.

This is why we have devoted so much energy and space on ComputerWeekly.com to the 40th anniversary of one of man’s greatest ever achievements.

Not only can you read about the fascinating technology behind the moon landing but also our special report on Apollo 11 is packed full of interesting information like this interactive timeline and also interesting information from our sister website Flightglobal.com.

Also don’t miss your chance to win a fantastic model of the Apollo 11 in our lunar-tic photo quiz.