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Margaret Hamilton dies at 90
The engineer whose software helped Apollo land on the Moon has died, leaving a lasting mark on software engineering.
What happened
Computer scientist Margaret Hamilton, who led MIT’s Apollo software team, has died. Her team developed programs for the computers used in the lunar missions, including the landing mission that first put people on the Moon. MIT publicly announced her death.
Numbers
- 90 yearsHamilton's age at death
- 30 SepReported date of death
- More than 130Publications credited to Hamilton
- About 100Specialists Hamilton led on Apollo — Accounts describe an approximate team size
Questions
- What did she do after MIT?
- After leaving MIT, Hamilton became a computer-industry entrepreneur and chief executive, continuing work on software systems outside the space program.
- Why did the landing software matter?
- During the lunar descent, the onboard computer faced excess tasks; the program selected essential functions instead of stopping all operations.
- Which honor did she receive?
- President Barack Obama awarded Hamilton the Presidential Medal of Freedom, recognizing her contributions to software engineering and the Apollo program.
- How did she shape her field?
- Her publications and technical work helped establish software engineering as a distinct discipline, influencing how complex computer systems were designed.
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The catch
The available coverage does not give a cause of death or detail her final years.