Margaret Hamilton sitting in a mock-up ofthe Apollo command module in 1969. Thefamed Apollo programme allowed US tobeat the Soviet Union in the race to becomethe first humans to land on the Moon
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.
In a statement, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology called Hamilton, who taught at the university from 1959 to the mid-1970s, a “computing pioneer” and said she died on Sept 30. Jerry Wohletz, CEO of the Draper Laboratory – which was spun out of the MIT Instrumentation Lab – said Hamilton left “an indelible mark” on the company. “Through her leadership and contributions to the development of the onboard flight software for Nasa’s Apollo Guidance Computer, she helped ensure that Apollo astronauts landed safely on the lunar surface and safely returned home,” he said.
The famed Apollo programme allowed US to beat the Soviet Union in the race to become the first humans to land on the Moon. Nasa chief Jared Isaacman paid tribute to Hamilton on X, calling her “a pioneer whose work helped make Apollo and humanity’s first journeys to the moon possible.
Born in Indiana in 1936, Hamilton studied mathematics before moving to Boston, Massachusetts with her husband in 1959. She found employment at MIT, working in meteorology before she joined a lab in 1965 that was seeking people to develop software to “send a man to the Moon. Her software intervened approximately three minutes before the Eagle lander of the Apollo 11 mission touched down on the Moon, overriding a faulty script and ensuring the mission could safely continue, according to Nasa. 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.
Hamilton was credited with making critical onboard systems more robust and accident-resistant.
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.