The 1802 (actually, a specialized version of the architecture) was the first CPU to leave the solar system (if it's a deep space probe from the 70's or 80's, it probably had an 1802 onboard).

It also ran the probe that was sent and crashed (intentionally!) into Venus. A friend who worked at GE at the time was on the design team. The thing that really impressed them was that the probe continued operating after landing, for something like a half hour, before melting...

The 1802 also entered space in the Galileo probe:

See also:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RCA_1802
• http://www.cosmacelf.com/ Great site with lots of code, emulators, links and so on.
• http://www.cosmac.szyc.org/ Emulates the original ELF in Javascript!
• http://www.tedrossin.atbhost.net/Electronics/RCA/RCA.html Ted Rossins' 1802 C compiler, assembler and emulator plus clone with PIC.+
• http://www.piclist.com/techref/member/JRD-WSU-Q61a/index.htm Jack was very active with the 1802 and published a mini-os in PC Mag for the expanded COSMAC ELF.
• http://www.geocities.com/ted_rossin/Electronics/RCA/RCA.html Great resources for the 1802! Emulator, minimal C compiler, assembler, video demos, logic analyser project, etc..
• http://www.intersil.com/products/deviceinfo.asp?pn=CDP1802A Intersil still sells the 1802 in a rad hardened version. Cost is about $150 per chip.
• http://findchips.com/avail?part=CDP1802 Some of the old RCA indutrial versions may be kicking around. As of 2010/04/23 they could be found for about $10 a chip.
• http://incolor.inetnebr.com/bill_r/elf/html/elf-1-33.htm The first COSMIC ELF article in Pop Electronics
• http://incolor.inetnebr.com/bill_r/computer_simulators.htm An ELF simulator (cached 20000211)

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