Explained: Margaret Hamilton, who led a software team for NASA's Apollo program, dies at 90

Margaret Hamilton, a computer scientist who led the team that created onboard flight software for NASA's Apollo program, has died at 90

Instrumentation Lab

An MIT laboratory that held a NASA contract to develop software for the Apollo program

command and service module

A component of the Apollo spacecraft whose flight software team Hamilton led as assistant director

Presidential Medal of Freedom

The highest civilian honor in the United States

onboard flight software

Software running on the spacecraft itself to control and guide the Apollo missions