Katherine Johnson

Katherine Johnson, was a mathematician and computer scientist who played a crucial role in NASA’s early space missions.

Her calculations of orbital mechanics were instrumental in the success of the first US manned space flights, including John Glenn’s historic orbit around the Earth.

Johnson’s extraordinary work at NASA broke racial and gender barriers, paving the way for future generations of women and people of color in the fields of mathematics and computer science.

The NASA mathematician who reached for the stars 1918 - 2020