Margaret Hamilton, who led software development for the Apollo program, has died
Article URL: https://news.mit.edu/2026/margaret-hamilton-computing-pioneer-dies-1007 Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49998895 Points: 286 # Comments: 26
Margaret Hamilton, a pioneering computer scientist who led the software team at MIT's Instrumentation Lab during the Apollo program, passed away on September 30 at the age of 90. A trailblazer in the field, she authored over 130 publications and helped establish software engineering as a distinct discipline. After working at MIT from 1959 to the mid-1970s, Hamilton ventured into entrepreneurship and became a CEO.
Her groundbreaking work earned her numerous accolades, including the 2016 Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama, who praised her for defining new forms of software engineering and launching an industry that transformed human history. Hamilton's code was instrumental in enabling America's historic moon landing.
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