Margaret Hamilton, the pioneering computer scientist who led software development for NASA ’s Apollo program and helped build the technology that took humans to the moon, has died at the age of 90.
During more than two decades at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology , she helped establish software engineering as a dedicated discipline and led the team responsible for the onboard flight software used during Apollo missions. He credited Hamilton with contributing fundamentally to Apollo’s success while also highlighting her later career as an entrepreneur, advocate and mentor. Jerry M. Wohletz, president and CEO of Draper, also paid tribute to Hamilton’s role in developing Apollo’s onboard flight software. Hamilton remained closely associated with the development of software engineering as a recognized discipline. Hamilton is survived by her daughter Lauren Hamilton, son-in-law Richard Selesnick, two grandsons, four great-grandchildren and her siblings John, David and Kathryn.
Hamilton died on September 30, MIT said in an obituary published on October 7. She authored more than 130 publications and later became a successful entrepreneur and CEO. She later founded Higher Order Software in 1976 and Hamilton Technologies a decade later, continuing her work on reliability, error prevention and systems engineering.
MIT described Hamilton as a “profoundly influential computer scientist” whose work extended far beyond the Apollo program. MIT said the software helped make it possible for astronauts to land safely on the lunar surface. Olivier de Weck, the Apollo Program Professor and interim head of MIT’s Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, said Hamilton was a pioneer at a time when software engineering was still in its infancy. “To say Margaret Hamilton was a pioneer — to say she was ahead of her time — would be a dramatic understatement,” de Weck said, according to MIT. “Margaret left an indelible mark on Draper, and we will be forever grateful,” Wohletz said, according to MIT. MIT said a memorial service will take place in Cambridge , Massachusetts, in the spring.
She initially worked on software for uncrewed Apollo missions before moving into a leadership role on the software for crewed missions. One of her major contributions was the development of software designed to anticipate and handle errors. Hamilton’s team had developed priority-driven software that could shut down unnecessary background tasks and give priority to mission-critical operations. Hamilton proposed safeguards after the incident, but her initial recommendation was rejected. Her achievements included the NASA Exceptional Space Act Award, the Computer History Museum Fellow Award and induction into the National Aviation Hall of Fame.
By 1968, she was assistant director in charge of the Command and Service Module team, with more than 400 people working on Apollo software . That approach became particularly important during Apollo 11 in July 1969. The system allowed the computer to continue handling the essential tasks, and the Apollo 11 landing proceeded. A similar error occurred during Apollo 8, after which her proposed changes were incorporated into the program. In 2016, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama . Her Apollo software later became part of computing history in another way: the code was released in its entirety on GitHub in 2015. Hamilton was also honored as an official LEGO minifigure in 2017. Earlier reporting noted: Margaret Hamilton, Scientist Who Worked On NASA’s Apollo Program, Dies At 90 Margaret Hamilton, Scientist Who Worked On NASA’s Apollo Program, Dies At 90 Margaret Hamilton, Scientist Who Worked On NASA’s Apollo Program, Dies At 90 Earlier reporting noted: American scientist Margaret Hamilton, who led development of the computer system used by NASA’s Apollo lunar program, has died at the age of 90, her former employer said Wednesday.
Just before the lunar module Eagle was due to land, the onboard computer generated a 1202 alarm, indicating that the computer was overloaded.
Hamilton had earlier demonstrated the importance of anticipating errors after an incident involving her daughter, Lauren, accidentally activating a program on an Apollo simulator. Earlier reporting noted: The famed Apollo program allowed the United States to beat the Soviet Union in the race to become the first humans to land on the Moon.
