Katherine Johnson

Katherine Johnson was an influential African-American mathematician whose work was vital to the success of NASA's early space missions. She specialized in complex calculations related to flight trajectories, helping to ensure that astronauts, including John Glenn, could safely orbit the Earth and return. Johnson's ability to perform precise calculations by hand, at a time when computers were not widely used, was critical for missions like Apollo 11. Her contributions broke barriers in both the fields of mathematics and aerospace engineering, inspiring future generations of women and minorities in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) careers.