Raspberry Pi Apollo Computer: Build a 1:1 DSKY Replica

Few computers have a story like the Apollo Guidance Computer, and now you can build a faithful piece of it on your workbench. Raspberry Pi highlighted the Recreate Apollo project on October 22, 2026, from the latest issue of Raspberry Pi Official Magazine. It pairs a Raspberry Pi with a full-size, 3D-printed replica of the DSKY, the display and keyboard unit Apollo astronauts used, running the real Apollo 13 Command Module software. It is one of the most inspiring Raspberry Pi projects we have seen this year.

• Hardware: a Raspberry Pi linked to microcontrollers over USB, inside a 1:1 scale 3D-printed DSKY case
• Software: the Virtual AGC emulator (yaAGC) running the Apollo 13 Command Module program
• Accuracy: the builder estimates the DSKY is about 90% physically authentic
• Open source: all CAD models, schematics and a 100-page build guide are free on GitHub, with v2 kits listed as "for sale soon"

Who Built the Raspberry Pi Apollo DSKY?

The maker is Michael Newton, a commercial aircraft avionics engineer based in Calgary, Alberta, who spends his spare time recreating historical aircraft and spacecraft hardware with modern tools. The project traces back to the pandemic, when a group of Apollo enthusiasts began converting original MIT Instrumentation Lab engineering documents into modern CAD files. Those documents had been released through a public records request and archived by the Virtual AGC group.

Newton gathered parts from various GitHub repositories, refined others and modeled some himself, ending up with a complete set of printable files. He then bought a 3D printer and learned as he went, tackling the case, the wiring and the software in turn over a few months.

How Does a Raspberry Pi Emulate the Apollo Guidance Computer?

The original AGC, introduced in 1966 by MIT's Instrumentation Lab, ran at 1.024 MHz with less than 100 kB of memory, roughly Apple II territory. It was also the first computer based on silicon integrated circuits, and it handled navigation, autopilot, engine burns, rendezvous and Earth entry.

A Raspberry Pi has power to spare for this. It runs yaAGC, the Virtual AGC project's program that reproduces the original's behavior, including its 15-bit-plus-parity word length, its slow clock and the asynchronous interrupt timing behind the famous 1201 and 1202 alarms on Apollo 11. Newton describes VirtualAGC as a real Apollo Guidance Computer that simply borrows your processor.

Why a Raspberry Pi Fit the Build

Newton told the magazine the single board computer felt nearly purpose-built for the job. It talks to the microcontrollers over USB, sips power, runs cool and has wireless LAN for SSH access. Raspberry Pi OS also made it easy to package a custom image, so other builders can copy the whole software setup in one step.

What Makes This Replica So Faithful?

The case follows archived NASA drawings closely, though Newton adapted the internal mounting points for the microcontrollers and the Raspberry Pi. He designed a clip-style screen holder because the modern display board is larger than the original part, and slightly enlarged the keycap lettering so it would print cleanly, while still using a recreated version of the historical font. For the keypad feel, he chose off-the-shelf mechanical switches with a high actuation force and a solid click.

The result is a fully usable device that anyone can operate, a hands-on lesson in computing history. Documentation was one of Newton's biggest goals, and his free guide is written so that even builders with no prior experience can follow it.

If retro builds are your thing, see our review of the Raspberry Pi guide to retro gaming, and browse more projects in our Raspberry Pi and mini computer coverage.

Sources: Raspberry Pi: Recreate the Apollo Guidance Computer — October 22, 2026; Recreate Apollo project site — October 2026.