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eppur_se_muova

(36,307 posts)
Thu Nov 24, 2016, 07:38 PM Nov 2016

Honour for software writer on Apollo moon mission (BBC)

An 80-year-old woman who wrote software for the Apollo space missions has been given the United States' highest civilian honour, the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Margaret Hamilton was one of 21 people awarded the medal by President Barack Obama in a star-studded ceremony.

It is almost 50 years since her initial work on the Apollo 11 moon mission.

Mrs Hamilton's pioneering software helped land the lunar module and its crew on the Moon in 1969.
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Her work proved vital on the day: minutes before the lunar lander reached the Moon's surface on 20 July 1969, several computer alarms were triggered. But, thanks to Mrs Hamilton's foresight, the Nasa team was able to see that the alert was nothing critical, and the landing went ahead.
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more: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-38076123

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Honour for software writer on Apollo moon mission (BBC) (Original Post) eppur_se_muova Nov 2016 OP
1201 Alarm! jimlup Nov 2016 #1
Years ago, I read the transcript from the landing .... eppur_se_muova Nov 2016 #2

jimlup

(7,968 posts)
1. 1201 Alarm!
Fri Nov 25, 2016, 12:43 AM
Nov 2016

I wonder if she wrote the code that issued that now famous alarm.

"We're go on that alarm."

"1202 Alarm!"

"We're go on that alarm."

...

And several heart wrenching moments later the Eagle landed safely on Tranquility Base.

eppur_se_muova

(36,307 posts)
2. Years ago, I read the transcript from the landing ....
Fri Nov 25, 2016, 10:32 AM
Nov 2016

and that popped into my mind immediately when I started to read the article. I'm pretty sure that's *exactly* what they're referring to !

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