Margaret Hamilton, Apollo 11 software pioneer, dies at 90

Summarised from 3 outlets · Updated 8 Oct, 05:37 · Archive

Margaret Hamilton, whose software powered the Apollo 11 moon landing, has died aged 90.

Margaret Hamilton, the computer pioneer whose software powered the Apollo 11 moon landing, has died aged 90, MIT announced on Wednesday. She died on 30 September. Hamilton developed the Apollo Guidance Computer after being hired by MIT, learning to program under a renowned MIT meteorologist in an era before software engineer and computer scientist became mainstream job titles.

Hamilton is credited with popularising the term 'software engineering', which she used whilst working at NASA at a time when computer science and software engineering were not yet established disciplines. She was also awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

How it is being reported

• Margaret Hamilton, whose software helped land Apollo 11 on the Moon, dies at 90Pioneering computer scientist led the development of the software for Nasa's Apollo mission and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.BBC Science · 8 Oct, 05:49
• Margaret Hamilton, pioneer whose software powered Apollo 11 moon mission, dies aged 90 as tributes pour inMargaret Hamilton, an early computer pioneer whose software helped put the Apollo 11 astronauts on the moon, has died at age 90. Mrs Hamilton is most well-known for developing the Apollo Guidance Computer after being hired by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), which today announced her death. She learned programming through hands-on work in MIT's meteorology department because, in the 1960s, computer science and software engineering were not yet established disciplines. She was also credited with popularising the term software engineering, using the term while at Nasa to give…GB News · 8 Oct, 05:24
• Margaret Hamilton, trailblazer whose software powered Apollo 11 moon landing, dies at 90MIT computer scientist led development of software for moon mission and earned Presidential Medal of Freedom Margaret Hamilton, the computer pioneer whose software powered the first moon landing, has died, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) announced on Wednesday. She was 90. In an era before titles such as software engineer and computer scientist became mainstream, Hamilton, who died on 30 September, learned to program under the tutelage of a renowned MIT meteorologist. Continue reading...Guardian World · 8 Oct, 01:40

In this story: Margaret Hamilton · MIT · NASA · Apollo 11

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem