Margaret Hamilton was a prominent figure in the development of early computer software, leading a team at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology that created systems used during NASA’s Apollo missions.
MIT, Hamilton’s former employer, confirmed her death and said she died on September 30.
The institution described her as a trailblazer who helped establish software engineering as a recognised field at a time when the discipline was still emerging.
Hamilton joined MIT in 1959 and remained there until the mid-1970s, eventually becoming director of its Software Engineering Division.
Her team was responsible for developing and testing the onboard software used by Apollo 11, the mission that carried astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to the Moon in 1969.
During the historic lunar landing, the spacecraft’s computer issued a series of alarms after becoming overloaded, raising concerns that the landing could fail.
Hamilton and her colleagues had anticipated such a situation and designed the software to prioritise the most important functions. The system automatically suspended less critical tasks, allowing the computer to focus on the landing.
Her work was later captured in a widely recognised photograph showing Hamilton standing beside a huge stack of printed computer code produced for the Apollo programme.
In 2016, Hamilton received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from then-US President Barack Obama in recognition of her contributions to science and space exploration.
Obama praised her as one of the women whose largely overlooked contributions helped make the United States’ achievements in space possible.
Born in Indiana in 1936, Hamilton studied mathematics at the University of Michigan before earning a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Earlham College in 1958.
She moved to Boston in 1959 with her husband and joined MIT, initially taking the position while supporting her husband during his law studies.
Hamilton later established her own software companies, including Hamilton Technologies, which continues to operate in Massachusetts.
Earlham College also honoured Hamilton’s legacy, describing her as a pioneering figure whose achievements would continue to inspire future generations.
Hamilton is survived by her daughter, son-in-law, two grandsons and four great-grandchildren, according to MIT.
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