[Spaceships] A slide rule will get you to the Moon . . . or will it?

[Phoenix_Dragon]

Strictly speaking, none of the mechanics involved require a computer, even a simple mechanical one like a slide-rule. I think most (All?) of the basic mathematical mechanics would predate mechanical computers even. Computers just let you do the calculations in a practical time scale...

[Kale]

Originally Posted by Purple Haze

If you have radio then you have vacuum tubes. The first entirely electronic computer built from vacuum tubes was Colossus (1943).

Actually radio can be done without vacuum tubes or transistors:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetic_amplifier
(scroll down to the Applications part to read about its use in radio - this is very 'Tesla' tech.)

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

This isn't about worldbuilding, this is strictly about being able to perform Math (Applied) that is a prerequisite to using Navigation (Space) and possibly Piloting (whatever class rockets should be at the various ages).

From the discussions here it seems quite feasible; it just seems to be a matter of speed. The key point made is that you can suffer from a reduction of accuracy, so your courses are not going to be as efficient as they could be. So basically, yes, but takes more fuel and time.