Margaret Hamilton, scientist who worked on NASA's Apollo program, dead at 90

Margaret Hamilton, a pioneering software engineer who led the team that programmed the initial computers for NASA's Apollo missions to the moon, has passed away at the age of 90, according to a statement released by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on September 30. MIT described her as a profoundly influential figure in the field of software development, having "forged new paths in computer science and engineering."

Hamilton's groundbreaking work with NASA began in 1965 when she applied to join a lab at MIT that was tasked with developing software for the Apollo program. She was hired as the first programmer for this project and became the project's first female programmer. Initially, she focused on software for uncrewed Apollo missions, but her role expanded to lead the team responsible for developing onboard flight software for crewed missions.

By 1968, she was serving as the assistant director overseeing the Command and Service Module team, overseeing a workforce of over 400 people.

MIT Chairman Olivier de Weck praised Hamilton's pioneering spirit, noting that she was ahead of her time in the field of software development. She not only developed advanced code herself but also led a team in utilizing this nascent technology to create one of humanity's most complex systems. Hamilton recalled the immense responsibility and dedication required for her work, stating that there was no room for error, and every decision was made with utmost seriousness.

During her time working on the Apollo program, Hamilton expressed that her team was fortunate to have been given total freedom and trust by upper management, as software was largely a mystery at the time. She published more than 130 papers and later founded her own software companies, Higher Order Software and Hamilton Technologies.

In 2016, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from former US President Barack Obama, recognizing her role in defining new forms of software engineering and contributing to humanity's historic achievement of landing on the moon.