NASA’s first software engineer: Margaret Hamilton - Matt Porter and Margaret Hamilton episode artwork

EPISODE · Aug 17, 2026 · 7 MIN

NASA’s first software engineer: Margaret Hamilton - Matt Porter and Margaret Hamilton

from TED-Ed · host TED-Ed

Learn how Margaret Hamilton and her team of engineers built the software for the Apollo 11 mission that landed mankind on the Moon. --The Apollo 11 moon landing was about the astronauts, mission control, software and hardware all working together as a seamless integrated system. None of which would have been possible without the contributions of one engineer: Margaret Hamilton. Who was this pioneer? Matt Porter and Margaret Hamilton detail how a woman and her team launched the software that took mankind to the Moon.Lesson by Matt Porter & Margaret Hamilton, directed by TOTEM Studio.Animator's website: https://www.totemstudio.tvSign up for our newsletter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdNewsletterSupport us on Patreon: http://bit.ly/TEDEdPatreonFollow us on Facebook: http://bit.ly/TEDEdFacebookFind us on Twitter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdTwitterPeep us on Instagram: http://bit.ly/TEDEdInstagramView full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-software-that-sent-humans-to-the-moon-matt-porter-and-margaret-hamiltonThank you so much to our patrons for your support! Without you this video would not be possible! Felipe Hoff, Rebecca Reineke, Cyrus Garay, Victoria Veretilo, Michael Aquilina, William Biersdorf, Patricia Alves Panagides, Valeria Sloan Vasquez, Mike Azarkman, Yvette Mocete, Pavel Maksimov, Victoria Soler-Roig, Betsy Feathers, Samuel Barbas, Therapist Gus, Sai Krishna Koyoda, Elizabeth Parker, William Bravante, Irindany Sandoval, Mark wisdom, Brighteagle, Beatriz Inácio, Mighterbump, Pamela Harrison, Maija Chapman, Liana Switzer, Curtis Light, The Brock, Dianne Palomar, Edgar Campos Barrachina, Maria Lerchbaumer, Ever Granada, Marin Kovachev, Ravi S. Rāmphal, Penelope Misquitta, Tekin Gültekin, Jhuval, Hans Peng, Gaurav Mathur, Erik Biemans, Tony, Michelle, Katie and Josh Pedretti, Vaibhav Mirjolkar, Thomas Bahrman, Allan Hayes, Aidan Forero, Uday Kishore, Mikhail Shkirev, Devesh Kumar, Sunny Patel and Anuj Tomar. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Aug 17, 2026

Embed this episode

NOW PLAYING

NASA’s first software engineer: Margaret Hamilton - Matt Porter and Margaret Hamilton

0:00 7:54

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of TED-Ed?

This episode is 7 minutes long.

When was this TED-Ed episode published?

This episode was published on August 17, 2026.

Can I download this TED-Ed episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!