What was Katherine’s job in hidden figures?

Katherine Johnson: The Human Computer Who Launched America into Space

“Hidden Figures” brought her story to the big screen, but Katherine Johnson was so much more than just a character in a movie. She wasn’t just a “computer” at NASA; she was a brilliant mathematician whose calculations were absolutely vital to America winning the space race. Seriously, without her, those early spaceflights might never have happened.

Born in 1918, Katherine Coleman showed incredible math skills from a young age. Can you imagine graduating college at just 18 with degrees in math and French? That’s exactly what she did! After teaching for a bit, she landed at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) – NASA’s earlier version – in 1953.

Now, back then, “computer” meant something totally different. It wasn’t a machine; it was a job title, mostly held by women who crunched numbers by hand. Katherine joined the West Area Computing unit, a group of brilliant African American women who, unbelievably, were segregated from their white colleagues. Talk about overcoming obstacles! Despite the prejudice, Katherine’s talent just couldn’t be ignored.

At first, she analyzed data and did calculations for the engineers. But it wasn’t long before her skills in analytic geometry put her on the fast track. Calculating spacecraft trajectories? That was her bread and butter.

Think about Alan Shepard’s 1961 flight, the one that made him the first American in space. Katherine calculated that trajectory! And John Glenn’s 1962 orbital flight? He trusted her so much that he famously insisted she personally double-check the computer’s calculations before he’d even get in the capsule. That’s how much faith they had in her. It’s hard to imagine that level of responsibility!

But it didn’t stop there. Katherine was a key player in the Apollo program, too. She figured out the trajectory for Apollo 11, you know, the one that landed Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the moon! And when Apollo 13 ran into serious trouble in 1970, her work on backup procedures was crucial in getting those astronauts home safe. Talk about a nail-biting situation!

Throughout her career, Katherine shattered barriers. She became the first woman in her division to get credit as an author on a research report. In fact, she wrote or co-wrote 26 research reports!

Katherine kept working at NASA until she retired in 1986, contributing to the Space Shuttle program and even the development of GPS. It’s amazing to think about how her work touches our lives even today.

Katherine Johnson’s legacy is about so much more than just numbers. She inspired generations with her brilliance, her grit, and her dedication to excellence. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015, a truly well-deserved honor. And in 2016, NASA named a research facility after her – the Katherine G. Johnson Computational Research Facility. She passed away in 2020 at the incredible age of 101, leaving behind a legacy that will continue to inspire for years to come. Her story, brought to life in “Hidden Figures,” reminds us that talent knows no color or gender, and that diversity is absolutely essential in STEM fields. She was a true pioneer.