Archive · 9 Oct 2026
Margaret Hamilton, Apollo Software Pioneer, Dies at 90
Margaret Hamilton helped make the computer software for NASA’s Apollo Moon missions.
She worked at MIT and joined its Apollo project in 1965.
MIT said she was the project’s first programmer and its first female programmer.
She later led a team working on software for crewed missions.
By 1968, she was in charge of the Command and Service Module team, while more than 400 people worked on Apollo software.
Her work helped make the Apollo journeys to the Moon possible, NASA’s administrator said.
Hamilton received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016.
She also started two software companies and published more than 130 papers.
She died at 90 on September 30, her daughter and MIT said.
Margaret Hamilton, who led development of software for NASA’s Apollo missions, died at 90.
Her daughter told The Associated Press that Hamilton died on September 30 at a hospital in Cambridge, Massachusetts; MIT also confirmed the date.
Hamilton joined MIT’s Instrumentation Lab in 1965 and became the first programmer, and first female programmer, hired for the Apollo project, according to MIT.
By 1968, she was assistant director overseeing the Command and Service Module software team; MIT said more than 400 people were working on Apollo software.
Hamilton received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016, published more than 130 papers, and founded two software companies.
- Who
- Margaret Hamilton, a computer scientist who led Apollo software development.
- What
- Hamilton died at age 90; she led teams developing software for NASA’s Apollo program.
- When
- She died on September 30; the articles do not specify the year.
- Where
- She died at a hospital in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
- Why
- No cause of death was reported in the articles.
Public recognition
Hamilton’s experience
Visibility and legacy
Public recognition
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman and MIT representatives praised Hamilton as a pioneer whose work helped make the first human journeys to the Moon possible.
Hamilton’s experience
Her daughter said Hamilton was glad to be acknowledged, but was reserved and did not naturally seek the spotlight.
Sexism at work
Public recognition
Her daughter said Hamilton encountered considerable sexism in her field.
Hamilton’s experience
Her daughter said Hamilton generally responded with humor or quiet confidence rather than reacting aggressively.
- Age
- 90
- Date of death
- September 30; year not specified in the articles
- Apollo work
- Joined MIT’s Instrumentation Lab in 1965 to work on Apollo software
- Leadership
- By 1968, assistant director in charge of the Command and Service Module team
- Software team
- MIT said more than 400 people were working on Apollo software by 1968
- Award
- Presidential Medal of Freedom, awarded in 2016 by President Barack Obama
- Later work
- Published more than 130 papers and founded Higher Order Software and Hamilton Technologies
