1. Margaret Hamilton: From Computers to the Moon
Before Neil Armstrong landed on the moon, founder and CEO of Hamilton Technologies,
Margaret Hamilton, worked at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as the Director of the
Software Engineering Division for the Charles Stark Draper Laboratory. In her earlier days at the
lab, Margaret led the team that created the onboard flight structure for NASA’s Apollo command
modules and lunar landing vehicles; she developed the software that guided the Apollo missions
and, thereafter, her software was also used in later space missions including NASA’s Skylab
project.1 To put her work in perspective, her software guided and landed the Apollo 11 mission,
which transported astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to the moon.
Margaret was a pioneer during a time when software engineers were new to the world of
engineering. She developed computer software more than a decade before Microsoft hit the
scene.2 During the beginning stages of software development, the more traditional nut-and-bolt
type of engineer, who typically worked with tangible objects, often discredited software
engineering. During the earlier days of the Apollo 11 project, Margaret remembered computer
software being treated like, “A stepchild and not taken as seriously as other engineering
disciplines, such as hardware engineering; and it was regarded as an art and as magic, not a
science.”3
Margaret developed concepts of asynchronous software, priority scheduling, end-to-end testing,
and man-in-the-loop decision capability, such as priority displays. According to Dr. Paul Curto,
former senior technologist for NASA’s Inventions and Contributions Board, Margaret’s software
concepts, “Became the foundation for ultra-reliable software design."4 Margaret and her team
created ideas that were the building blocks for modern software engineering.5 Her trailblazing
efforts not only helped NASA get the first space shuttle to the moon, but she continued to
develop industry standards that helped science and space exploration advance towards the stars;
and she didn’t stop there, she continued.
Margaret started Hamilton Technologies Incorporated (HTI) in 1996. HTI provides technology,
products and services to modernize systems engineering and software development through
innovation, which maximizes reliability and productivity, minimizes cost and risk, and
accelerates time to market.6 HTI applications are used in various industries including
manufacturing, communications, aerospace, traffic engineering, medical, energy, battlefield
management, banking, enterprise management systems, production ready systems, and research
and development.7
1 http://realwomenofstem.com/post/105487601570/margaret-hamilton-ceo-of-hamilton-technologies
2 http://www.gadgette.com/2016/03/15/women-in-tech-history-margaret-hamilton/
3 http://www.gadgette.com/2016/03/15/women-in-tech-history-margaret-hamilton/
4 https://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a11/a11Hamilton.html
5 Ibid
6 http://htius.com/About_Us/About_Us.htm
7 Ibid

2. HTI has spent decades creating and perfecting a computer language, called the Universal
Systems Language (USL), which is used together with its technology for systems and software
development, to solve problems impossible to solve with traditional approaches. Margaret
created this language as a revolutionary approach to systems thinking. It is a new way of doing
business, a paradigm changer. The computer language is based on HTI’s Development Before
The Fact (DBTF) theory, and virtually eliminates errors before the fact.8
When asked why she founded HTI, Margaret replied, “To accelerate the evolution of our
technology and to introduce it to more users.”9 HTI provides systems for companies, institutions,
and governments including Motorola, IBM, NASA, The United States Department of Defense,
the United States Army, the Canadian government, Boeing, Boston University, and many more
organizations.10
Society can’t thank you enough, Mrs. Hamilton. The Apollo 11 moon landing inspired many
students to pursue their path in technology because of the advancements developed during a time
when software was considered a mystery, a black box, a form of magic. Mrs. Hamilton’s
trailblazing efforts continue to inspire future generations to reach for their own star in the galaxy,
and to always continue forward towards their next journey.11
8 Ibid
9 https://medium.com/@verne/margaret-hamilton-the-engineer-who-took-the-apollo-to-the-moon-
7d550c73d3fa#.dpex40yqg
10 http://www.htius.com/
11 http://realwomenofstem.com/post/105487601570/margaret-hamilton-ceo-of-hamilton-technologies