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Author
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Topic: Margaret Hamilton, Apollo coder (1936-2026)
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Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 57264
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 10-07-2026 04:37 PM
   
Margaret Hamilton, who led the development of the on board flight software for the Apollo Guidance Computer (AGC), died on Sept. 30, 2026. She was 90.Hamilton led the software engineering division at MIT's Instrumentation Laboratory (now Draper Laboratory) when it was contracted by NASA to develop the guidance systems for the Apollo command module and lunar module in 1961. In 2016, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her work on the first moon landings. An example of the importance of Hamilton's software work came during Apollo 11, the first mission to land humans on the moon.Approximately three minutes before the lunar lander Eagle touched down at Tranquility Base, the on-board software overrode a command to alter the flight computer's priority processing to a radar system, which had been incorrectly switched on. The software averted an abort, allowing Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to make history. "From my own perspective, the software experience itself ... was at least as exciting as the events surrounding the mission," Hamilton told MIT News in 2009. "There was no second chance. We knew that." In 2017, Hamilton was one of four "Women of NASA" who were honored with her own official LEGO minifigure. 
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Michael Davis
Member Posts: 593
From: Houston, Texas
Registered: Aug 2002
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posted 10-07-2026 04:40 PM
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SpaceAholic
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From: Sierra Vista, Arizona
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 10-07-2026 04:56 PM
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brianjbradley
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From: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Registered: Dec 2010
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posted 10-07-2026 06:02 PM
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SkyMan1958
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posted 10-07-2026 06:34 PM
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mode1charlie
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From: Honolulu, HI
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posted 10-07-2026 06:44 PM
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Jurg Bolli
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From: Albuquerque, NM
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posted 10-07-2026 07:22 PM
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GACspaceguy
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From: Guyton, GA
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posted 10-07-2026 07:31 PM
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thisismills
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From: Michigan
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posted 10-07-2026 08:03 PM
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davidcwagner
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From: Albuquerque, New Mexico
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posted 10-07-2026 08:06 PM
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oly
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From: Perth, Western Australia
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posted 10-07-2026 08:29 PM
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Larry McGlynn
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From: Boston, MA
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posted 10-07-2026 09:56 PM
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tedc
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From: Renton, WA USA
Registered: Mar 2002
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posted 10-07-2026 11:11 PM
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Philip
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From: Brussels, Belgium
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posted 10-08-2026 07:09 AM
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MartinAir
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From:
Registered: Oct 2020
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posted 10-08-2026 07:37 AM
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dom
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From:
Registered: Aug 2001
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posted 10-08-2026 12:07 PM
An iconic photo, if not too politically correct. RIP |
bthumble
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posted 10-08-2026 12:42 PM
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Jeff
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From: Fayetteville, NC. USA
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posted 10-08-2026 02:11 PM
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413 is in
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From: Alexandria, VA USA
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posted 10-08-2026 03:47 PM
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SpaceCadet1983
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posted 10-08-2026 04:01 PM
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wickball
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posted 10-08-2026 05:37 PM
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capoetc
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posted 10-08-2026 07:04 PM
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CJ
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posted 10-08-2026 07:55 PM
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DG27
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posted 10-09-2026 12:20 AM
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rjb1elec
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posted 10-09-2026 12:48 AM
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hlbjr
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posted 10-09-2026 02:10 AM
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MCroft04
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posted 10-09-2026 07:29 AM
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lspooz
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posted 10-09-2026 08:51 AM
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perineau
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posted 10-09-2026 11:42 AM
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gareth89
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posted 10-09-2026 12:00 PM
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edorr
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posted 10-09-2026 04:09 PM
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YankeeClipper
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posted 10-09-2026 06:24 PM
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Delta7
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posted 10-09-2026 10:18 PM
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minipci
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posted 10-10-2026 03:33 AM
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skyguard23
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posted 10-10-2026 02:54 PM
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GT76
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posted 10-10-2026 05:22 PM
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bobslittlebro
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From: Douglasville, Ga U.S.A.
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posted 10-10-2026 05:53 PM
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Kite
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posted 10-11-2026 05:54 AM
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TLIGuy
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posted 10-11-2026 09:08 AM
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Grounded!
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From: Bennington, Vermont, USA
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posted 10-11-2026 10:38 AM
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