Software pioneer Margaret Hamilton dies at age 90

Margaret Hamilton, the computer pioneer whose software powered the first moon landing, died on 30 September at the age of 90. The Guardian, The New York Times, MIT News, and the Wall Street Journal all reported that the Massachusetts Institute of Technology announced her death on Wednesday. [1][2][3][4][5]

The Guardian reported that Hamilton learned to program under an MIT meteorologist before software engineering and computer science became mainstream disciplines. She continued her work in an MIT laboratory writing software designed to detect enemy aircraft, according to the Guardian. The New York Times added that she was the first female programmer hired to work on the space project at MIT. [1][2]

Hamilton was born on 17 August 1936 in Paoli, Indiana. She earned a bachelor's degree from Earlham College and studied mathematics at the University of Michigan before joining MIT. In 1961, she began working on the Apollo guidance system for NASA, teaching herself programming and eventually directing flight software development for the Apollo Guidance Computer. Her work introduced key concepts for reliable software, including priority-driven task execution, asynchronous processing, and designs that allowed astronauts to override automated systems. [9]

The Guardian noted that Hamilton led the development of software for the moon mission and earned the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her contributions to computing and the space program. [1]