The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) announced on Wednesday the death of Margaret Hamilton, the computer scientist whose work was instrumental in powering the first moon landing. She was 90 years old.
Hamilton passed away on September 30. Her contributions to space exploration were recognized with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and she is widely credited with leading the development of the software that guided Apollo 11.
During a time when professional titles such as “software engineer” and “computer scientist” had not yet become standard, Hamilton learned to program under the guidance of a prominent MIT meteorologist. Her pioneering efforts helped establish the field of software engineering as a critical discipline in aerospace missions.
Does anyone else think we should teach her story more in schools? She deserves far more recognition than she currently gets.
90 years old and still inspiring the next generation of engineers. What a remarkable legacy to leave behind.
I had no idea she coined the term software engineer! It’s amazing how much she shaped the field before it even had a name.
Hamilton truly was a pioneer. Her work reminds us that software safety is just as critical as the hardware itself.