Margaret Hamilton, Apollo software pioneer, dies at 90
Margaret Hamilton, a pioneering software engineer who led the team that developed the Apollo guidance software for NASA, has died at age 90. She is credited with coining the term 'software engineering' and establishing it as a professional discipline.
Why it matters
Hamilton's work was foundational to modern computing and the success of the Apollo moon missions.
Margaret Hamilton, the groundbreaking researcher who helped create the field of software engineering and whose code helped land NASA’s Apollo astronauts on the moon to win the 20th-century space race, has died. She was 90. Hamilton’s former employer, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, confirmed her death in a post from the department of aeronautics and astronautics. The cause of her death was not disclosed. Related video above: Remembering those we lost in 2026 It was during her time working at MIT, where she took a job in 1959 and remained until the mid-1970s, that Hamilton managed the Software Engineering Division of the MIT Instrumentation Laboratory. The division landed a contract with NASA in 1961. She ultimately led a team of 100 engineers that designed the software to guide NASA’s Apollo missions.
Also covering this story
3 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
Margaret Hamilton, whose software helped land Apollo 11 on the Moon, dies at 90
Margaret Hamilton, scientist who worked on NASA's Apollo program, dead at 90
Margaret Hamilton, who led software development for Apollo program, dies at 90
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in