Margaret Hamilton (1936-) is a pioneer and inspiring computer scientist. She began her programming career at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) working on several projects including working on SAGE (Semi-Automatic Ground Environment) automated control system for tracking and intercepting enemy bomber aircraft.
The Apollo 11 moon landing was about the astronauts, mission control, software and hardware all working together as a seamless integrated system. None of which would have been possible without the contributions of one engineer: Margaret Hamilton. Who was this pioneer? Learn how Margaret Hamilton and her team of engineers built the software for the Apollo 11 mission that landed mankind on the Moon. (Animated video by TEDed, 5 min.)
In this short video (4.5 min.) where Hamilton discusses joining NASA as their first software engineer and creating the software that launched the Apollo 11 first manned mission to the moon. When it comes to Margaret Hamilton’s career, she literally shoots for the moon.
Below you can find an oral history video (3-hour video), where Margaret Hamilton describes her life and career in computing. She begins with a discussion of her family background and youth, reviews her first impressions of computing and her first work in programming at MIT Project MAC and the Lincoln Laboratory on SAGE.
Hamilton also reviews her work on the software for the Apollo Guidance Computer in detail, including her work on errors, alarms, software engineering, and her memorable experiences with the Apollo 8 and Apollo 11 missions. Afterward, she reviews her work on errors leading to formal methods for avoiding them, and for control theory more broadly, developing into the Universal Systems Language. She further details the support of this work, and her experiences in creating two companies to pursue it.
The interview (by the Computer History Museum) concludes with reflections on cultural issues in computing, and more broadly.