TechRepublic has a lengthy and well-researched article on the coders who worked on the Apollo missions. It discusses the mishaps of Apollo 13, the importance of NASA’s space flight simulators, the limitations of the Apollo computers, the long work hours and the difficulties of programming via card decks.
One of the programmers involved summed up the Apollo experience: “There was never a day, never a single day there wasn’t a problem to solve, and it was amazing. It was an amazing ride.”