Apollo Abort Guidance System
The Apollo Abort Guidance System (AGS) was a backup computer system providing an abort capability in the event of failure of the Lunar Module's primary guidance system (Apollo PGNCS) during descent, ascent or rendezvous. As an abort system, it did not support guidance for a lunar landing.
The AGS was designed by TRW independently of the development of the Apollo Guidance Computer and PGNCS.
It was the first navigation system to use a strapdown Inertial Measurement Unit rather than a gimbaled gyrostabilized IMU (as used by PGNCS). Although not as accurate as the gimbaled IMU, it provided satisfactory accuracy with the help of optical telescope and rendezvous radar. It was also lighter and smaller in size.
Read more about Apollo Abort Guidance System: Description, Use of AGS
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