Katherine Johnson, first African-American woman NASA scientist, born this date...

[Hermit-The-Prog]

Katherine Johnson (née Coleman; August 26, 1918 – February 24, 2020) was an American mathematician whose calculations of orbital mechanics as a NASA employee were critical to the success of the first and subsequent U.S. crewed spaceflights.[1] During her 33-year career at NASA and its predecessor, she earned a reputation for mastering complex manual calculations and helped pioneer the use of computers to perform the tasks. The space agency noted her "historical role as one of the first African-American women to work as a NASA scientist".[2]

Johnson's work included calculating trajectories, launch windows, and emergency return paths for Project Mercury spaceflights, including those for astronauts Alan Shepard, the first American in space, and John Glenn, the first American in orbit, and rendezvous paths for the Apollo Lunar Module and command module on flights to the Moon. Her calculations were also essential to the beginning of the Space Shuttle program, and she worked on plans for a mission to Mars. She was known as a "human computer" for her tremendous mathematical capability and ability to work with space trajectories with such little technology and recognition at the time.

In 2015, President Barack Obama awarded Johnson the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 2016, she was presented with the Silver Snoopy Award by NASA astronaut Leland D. Melvin and a NASA Group Achievement Award. She was portrayed by Taraji P. Henson as a lead character in the 2016 film Hidden Figures. In 2019, Johnson was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal by the United States Congress.[3] In 2021, she was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame.[4]

Katherine Johnson

[ Edit to add clickable image of Katherine Johnson's autobiography: ]

[ProfessorGAC]

1. A Great American

And such a compelling story.

[irisblue]

2. Bump

[Samrob]

3. Amazing woman! nt

[electric_blue68]

4. Yay! I have her ebook saved on my library's hold list.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

5. Would that be her autobiography, "Reaching for the Moon"?

As described on:
https://katherinejohnson.net/

[electric_blue68]

6. No, it's "My Remarkable Journey" A Memoir

Oh, I really like the cover on the one you linked to.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

7. Do you happen to have a link handy for that?

Here's the cover you referenced (I really like it, too):

[electric_blue68]

8. Thanks...

No, sorry, it popped up in my Bronx Library Big book list feed....

So unless you live in The Bronx, Manhattan, or Staten Island which I assume you aren't then you couldn't access it.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

9. Found it by a duckduckgo search

ebook and hard copy

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=katherine+johnson+my+remarkable+journey&t=h_&ia=web

[electric_blue68]

11. Cool!

[niyad]

10. KNR

[Staph]

12. Today was Katherine Johnson Day at her alma mater, West Virginia State University.

Speeches, a wreath-laying at her statue on campus, and the awarding of three scholarships in her name.




https://www.lootpress.com/west-virginia-state-university-to-host-katherine-johnson-day-observance-friday-aug-26/

[Hermit-The-Prog]

13. Summa cum laude at age 18!

[Enter stage left]

14. If you haven't seen the movie "Hidden Figures" you have missed one of the all-time great movies...

We've probably watched it 10-15 times and will watch it again.

It tells the true story of 3 of the great black women that were incredibly important to NASA and our success in getting astronauts into orbit and to the moon.



Katherine Johnson was one of them.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

15. Yes! They went through some real battles to get there.