Margaret Hamilton, scientist behind NASA’s Apollo missions, dies at 90:Faced sexism but became a role model for women in science and technology; know her life story

Margaret Hamilton, the computer scientist who helped make NASA’s Apollo Moon missions possible, has died at the age of 90. She led the team responsible for developing the onboard flight software used in the crewed Apollo missions. Her work played an important role in the history of space exploration and helped establish software engineering as a critical part of spaceflight. Hamilton died on September 30 at a hospital in Cambridge, Massachusetts, her daughter, Lauren Hamilton, told The Associated Press. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman also paid tribute to her, saying her contributions helped make humanity’s first journeys to the Moon possible. Over the years, Hamilton became a role model for women in science and technology, inspiring generations of computer scientists and engineers. Who was Margaret Hamilton? Margaret Hamilton was a computer scientist and software engineer who played a major role in NASA’s Apollo programme. At a time when software engineering was still a new field, she helped develop the technology needed to guide astronauts safely during their journeys to the Moon. Olivier de Weck, an Apollo programme professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), praised her contributions in an interview with MIT News. He said: To say Margaret Hamilton was a pioneer, to say she was ahead of her time, would be a dramatic understatement. He also highlighted how Hamilton not only developed advanced software herself but also led a team working on one of the most complex technological systems of that era. How Margaret Hamilton helped NASA’s Apollo Moon missions Hamilton graduated with a degree in mathematics from Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana, in 1958. A year later, she joined MIT, where she initially worked on software for weather prediction. In the mid-1960s, she joined MIT’s Instrumentation Laboratory, which was working with NASA on the Apollo programme. Hamilton first worked on software for uncrewed space missions. She later led the team developing the onboard flight software for crewed Apollo missions. By 1968, she was an assistant director responsible for the team working on the command and service module. Her team’s work was crucial because the software had to help spacecraft perform complex operations during missions to the Moon. In a 2009 interview with MIT News, Hamilton recalled the challenges and excitement of working on the project. She said: We took our work seriously, many of us beginning this journey while still in our 20s. Coming up with solutions and new ideas was an adventure. She also explained how the team worked at a time when software was not widely understood. “Because software was a mystery, a black box, upper management gave us total freedom and trust,” she said. “We had to find a way, and we did. Looking back, we were the luckiest people in the world; there was no choice but to be pioneers.” Also read: Elon Musk gets US’s National Medal of Science: Donald Trump says, ‘Elon is the Thomas Edison of our time and has turned science into reality’

From a little-known scientist to a symbol of women in technology Although Hamilton made important contributions to space exploration, she became widely recognised by the public much later in her life. A photograph of her standing beside a tall stack of papers containing the Apollo software code gained attention online. The image highlighted the enormous amount of work involved in developing the software for the Moon missions. In 2017, a Lego set celebrating women who contributed to NASA’s achievements also featured a figure of Hamilton. The 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing in 2019 brought further recognition. Her daughter said the growing public attention was a major change for her mother. Lauren Hamilton said. She definitely went from nobody knowing who she was to suddenly everyone knowing who she was, especially in her field. She added that her mother was happy to receive recognition for her work, although she was naturally a reserved person. Hamilton faced sexism but continued to make her mark As a woman working in a male-dominated technology field, Hamilton faced sexism during her career. However, according to her daughter, she often handled such situations with humour and quiet confidence rather than confrontation. Lauren Hamilton described her mother as someone who could respond to difficult situations with humour or simply let her work speak for itself. After working at MIT’s Instrumentation Laboratory into the 1970s, Hamilton went on to establish two software companies. Her daughter said Hamilton was particularly interested in mathematics and abstract thinking, especially the process of turning ideas into software. Outside work, she enjoyed collecting vintage clothing and had a playful sense of humour. Also read: iPhone users beware! New spyware can steal passwords and data: What is ‘P7 DarkSword’ malware, and how to stay safe

Margaret Hamilton received the Presidential Medal of Freedom Hamilton received several awards and honours during her lifetime in recognition of her contributions to science and technology. In 2016, then-US President Barack Obama awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honour in the United States. Born on August 17, 1936, in Indiana, Hamilton spent much of her childhood in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. She later lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts, from her early 20s until her death. Her work on NASA’s Apollo programme helped demonstrate the importance of software in space exploration. Today, she is remembered not only for helping make the Moon missions possible but also for paving the way for future generations of software engineers, particularly women entering science and technology.