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Margaret Hamilton, Apollo Code Pioneer, Dies at 90
Margaret Hamilton was a computer scientist whose work helped humans reach the moon.
She was good at thinking about how systems might fail.
During Apollo 11’s landing in July 1969, the lunar module’s computer showed an error called 1202.
A faulty switch was making the computer handle too much work.
The lunar module, named Eagle, was close to the moon’s surface.
People were unsure whether the computer could keep working.
Hamilton had helped make computer systems able to handle problems.
She has died at the age of 90.
Margaret Hamilton, a computing trailblazer, has died at 90.
Her code helped put humans on the moon.
Hamilton was known as a problem solver and critical thinker.
During Apollo 11’s lunar descent in July 1969, the lunar module computer displayed error 1202.
A faulty hardware switch overloaded the computer, leaving uncertainty about whether it could continue working.
- Who
- Margaret Hamilton and the Apollo 11 lunar module team.
- What
- Hamilton, whose code helped put humans on the moon, has died at 90; Apollo 11’s computer showed error 1202 during its descent.
- Where
- During Apollo 11’s descent to the moon.
- When
- Hamilton’s age at death was 90; the Apollo 11 descent occurred in July 1969.
- Why
- A faulty hardware switch flooded the lunar module computer with more work than it could handle.
Key facts
- Age at death
- 90
- Apollo 11 descent
- July 1969
- Computer warning
- Error 1202
- Cause of overload
- A faulty hardware switch
- Lunar module
- Eagle
- Hamilton’s contribution
- Her code helped put humans on the moon.
Sources
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