![]() We will continue building on her legacy and work tirelessly to increase opportunities for everyone who has something to contribute toward the ongoing work of raising the bar of human potential," NASA said in a statement. "At NASA we will never forget her courage and leadership and the milestones we could not have reached without her. Now brought to light, Johnson's legacy won't be forgotten and will hopefully lead to recognition for other black women too-long overlooked due to racism and sexism. For many, Margot Lee Shetterly's novel Hidden Figures, and the subsequent film, was the first introduction to Johnson. 219,205 views Born in 1918, Katherine Johnson was one of the first Black students to integrate West Virginia’s graduate schools before becoming a NASA mathematician, wh. Johnson retired in 1986 after 33 years at Langley, and in 2015, President Obama awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America's highest civilian honor. She went on to author and co-author a total of 26 research reports. ![]() In 1960, she co-authored a report laying out the equations for orbital space flight, marking the first time a woman in the Flight Research Division received credit as an author of a research report. Johnson was also a prolific research author. Update your settings here, then reload the page to see it. Melvin, and a NASA Group Achievement Award.This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. The ERC is located at the Katherine Johnson IV&V Facility in the Technology Park just off exit 132 in Fairmont, WV. Katherine Johnson, née Katherine Coleman, also known as (193956) Katherine Goble, (born August 26, 1918, White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, U.S. Create unique opportunities for students. NACA became the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in 1958. Her knowledge made her invaluable to her superiors and her assertiveness won her a spot in previously all-male meetings. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Silver Snoopy Award from NASA astronaut Leland D. Strengthen public understanding of NASA's missions. Johnson was assigned to the all-male flight research division. Towards the end of her life, these contributions began to receive the recognition they deserve. She also contributed to the beginning of the Space Shuttle program and worked on plans for a mission to Mars. The highlights? Calculations for astronauts Alan Shepard, the first American in space, and John Glenn, the first American in orbit - not to mention rendezvous paths for the Apollo Lunar Module and command module on flights to the moon. ![]() There, she calculated trajectories, launch windows, and emergency return paths for Project Mercury spaceflights. Katherine Johnson, portrayed in the film 'Hidden Figures,' explained her work for NASA as a research mathematician in a 2017 interview. “You lose your curiosity when you stop learning.”īy 1958, she had moved into the Spacecraft Controls Branch. The space agency refers to her historical role as “one of the first African American women to work as a NASA scientist.” A Rocketing Careerĭuring her 33-year career at NASA (and its predecessor NACA), she earned herself a reputation for acing complex manual calculations and pioneering the use of computers. Johnson accepted a job offer from the agency in June 1953 and was initially assigned to Dorothy Vaughan’s group. At a family gathering in 1952, a relative mentioned that the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) was hiring mathematicians - including African Americans. She began working as a teacher, but her life would soon change dramatically. Katherine Johnson received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama in 2015. By 1937, she graduated from West Virginia State with degrees in mathematics and French at the age of just 18. Although Greenbrier County did not offer public schooling for African American students past the eighth grade, her parents were determined to support her talent and enrolled her at a high school in Institute, West Virginia when she was 10 - splitting their time between there and their home in White Sulphur Springs. spaceflights into orbit.įrom an early age, Johnson revealed amazing mathematical abilities. Creola Katherine Johnson (1918–2020) was a talented African American mathematician and NASA employee whose calculations helped set the first crewed U.S.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |