Our NASA family is saddened by the passing this week of celebrated mathematician Katherine Johnson. Her spirit and determination helped lead us into a new era in space exploration, and for that we are grateful.
“Ms. Johnson helped our nation enlarge the frontiers of space even as she made huge strides that also opened doors for women and people of color in the universal human quest to explore space,” said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine.
Once a "human computer" at our Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, she famously calculated the flight trajectory for Alan Shepard, the first American in space. When we began to use electronic computers for calculations, astronaut John Glenn said that he’d trust the computers only after Johnson personally checked the math. Her calculations proved as critical to the success of the Apollo Moon landing program and the start of the Space Shuttle program, as they did to those first steps on America’s journey into space.
We celebrate her 101 years of life and honor her legacy of excellence that broke down racial and social barriers.
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