Her calculations were more accurate than the new IBM computer in 1961.
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Katherine G. Johnson was a pioneering African-American mathematician who made significant contributions to NASA’s space program. Born on August 26, 1918, in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, she displayed an early aptitude for mathematics. She graduated from West Virginia State College in 1937 with degrees in mathematics and French, and in 1939, she became one of the first African-American students to integrate West Virginia University’s graduate school.
Johnson joined NACA (NASA’s predecessor) in 1953 at Langley Research Center, initially working in the segregated West Area Computing Unit. Her exceptional skill in analytical geometry and calculations led to her assignment on critical projects. She performed trajectory calculations for Alan Shepard’s 1961 Freedom 7 mission, the first American manned spaceflight. Her work was pivotal for John Glenn’s 1962 Friendship 7 orbital mission, where she manually verified the computer-generated orbital equations, earning Glenn’s trust. Her calculations ensured the mission’s success, including precise re-entry coordinates.
Throughout her 33-year career at NASA, Johnson contributed to the Apollo program, including Apollo 11’s moon landing, and worked on the Space Shuttle program and early Mars mission plans. Her work involved complex manual computations before computers were widely used, earning her a reputation for accuracy. She co-authored 26 scientific papers, a rare achievement for a woman of her time.
Johnson faced racial and gender discrimination but broke barriers as one of the first African-American women to desegregate NASA’s engineering spaces. Her contributions were recognized late in life: she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015 from President Barack Obama and the Congressional Gold Medal in 2019. NASA named a computational research facility after her in 2017.
Her story gained widespread recognition through the 2016 book and film *Hidden Figures*, which highlighted her role alongside other African-American women at NASA. Johnson passed away on February 24, 2020, at age 101, leaving a legacy as a trailblazer in mathematics, space exploration, and civil rights.
Synchronicity is the Source of Consciousness 