I found multiple stories/blogs with recollections like this one from Smithsonian including the use of calculators on early missions before laptops were used: h

I found multiple stories/blogs with recollections like this one from Smithsonian including the use of calculators on early missions before laptops were used: https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/calculator-hand-held-hp-41 https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/calculator-han... I remembered reading it in the newspapers at the time which would have probably make the reports generally pre internet (or pre newspapers on the internet) in the 1980's. Of course I could be remembering it wrong or it could have been a HP calculator ad.