Contribution
Margaret Hamilton was a computer scientist and led a team of software engineers at M.I.T., and even created the term “software engineering.” When hired at the MIT Instrumentation Laboratory, she was both the first programmer and the first woman they hired to work on the Apollo mission. Hamilton became a director at the lab, and her and her 100-person team developed the software and control systems for the in-flight command and lunar modules for the Apollo missions. Hamilton worked on ways to detect system errors and recover any data lost in a computer crash. Her focus was on preventing issues from happening, so that fewer corrections need to be made later. This was particularly important because just before the moon landing in the Apollo 11 mission, a radar switch in the wrong position sent unnecessary data to the computer. The computer was able to discern what data was the most important and prioritize carrying out its most essential functions. No software issues occurred on any of the Apollo missions thanks to Hamilton’s work.
Margaret Hamilton’s code has also been used in Skylab, the first space station, and for the Space Shuttle.
Margaret Hamilton’s code has also been used in Skylab, the first space station, and for the Space Shuttle.
Experiencing Sexism
When Margaret Hamilton became a director, one boss told her that he was worried that the men working under her might rebel. However, Hamilton says that the men were okay with having a female boss. She has also said that at the time, she was too busy working to notice sexism in her workplace. However, looking back on her time at M.I.T. she notices it. For example, a female coworker was told that she could not get a loan at the MIT credit union without her husband’s signature. Hamilton complained and the credit union changed the policy.
Biography
Margaret Hamilton was born in 1936 in Indiana. She studied math and philosophy at Earlham College in Indiana, where she met her husband. After graduating in 1958, she taught high school math. Hamilton and her husband moved to Boston. She got a job at MIT, where she used programming to predict the weather and studied meteorology. She joined the Lincoln Laboratory and worked on the Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) project, which was the first U.S. air defense system. One of her most significant contributions to this project was coding a program to identify enemy aircraft.
Hamilton then worked at the Instrumentation Laboratory, which provided technology to NASA. She became a director and developed software for the Apollo missions.
In the mid-1970s, she co-founded the company Higher Order Software, then later Hamilton Technologies.
In 2016, President Barack Obama awarded Margaret Hamilton the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Hamilton then worked at the Instrumentation Laboratory, which provided technology to NASA. She became a director and developed software for the Apollo missions.
In the mid-1970s, she co-founded the company Higher Order Software, then later Hamilton Technologies.
In 2016, President Barack Obama awarded Margaret Hamilton the Presidential Medal of Freedom.