Margaret Hamilton, trailblazer whose software powered Apollo 11 moon landing, dies at 90
Summary
Margaret Hamilton, a software pioneer who helped create the computer programs that guided the Apollo 11 moon landing, has died at age 90. Her work on the mission's flight software was crucial, especially when the onboard computer faced problems just before the lunar landing but successfully handled the issues.Key Facts
- Margaret Hamilton helped write the software for NASA’s Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969.
- She was the first programmer and first woman hired for the Apollo flight software team at MIT.
- Hamilton’s software detected and handled errors during the Apollo 11 landing, preventing mission abortion.
- The software’s error detection and recovery systems allowed the spacecraft to continue despite computer alarms.
- President Obama awarded Hamilton the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016, praising her key role.
- She began programming before software engineering was a common job title, learning from an MIT meteorologist.
- Hamilton also worked on developing software for detecting enemy aircraft before joining the Apollo project.
- She passed away on September 30 and is survived by her family, including children and grandchildren.
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