NASA Mathematician Katherine Johnson Receives Nation’s Highest Civilian Honor
Katherine Johnson is a space scientist, mathematician, physicist, and pioneer who spent a remarkable three decades at NASA. November 24, 2015, Katherine received the nation’s highest civilian award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack H. Obama.
Her work at NASA as a research mathematician had profound impact on space science. Katherine calculated the launch window for American’s first human space flight, verified the calculation for John Glen’s historic first American orbit of Earth, calculated the trajectory of Apollo 11’s flight to the moon and worked on the plan that saved the Apollo 13 crew.
Katherine exemplified intelligence beyond her years starting at an early age. NASA explains in Katherine Johnson: The Girl Who Loved to Count, “for by the time she was 10 years old, she was a high school freshman–a truly amazing feat in an era when school for African-Americans normally stopped at eighth grade for those could indulge in that luxury.” With the support of her father she graduated high school at 14 and college at 18.
Katherine pioneered during a tough time in American history for civil rights and gender equality although at NASA, she claims, “I didn’t feel the segregation at NASA because everybody there was doing research. You had a mission and you worked on it, and it was important to you to do your job.”
Katherine is an amazing role model for women especially for those looking to pursue a career in math and science. In Katherine Johnson: A Lifetime of STEM she shares some of the lessons that helped her succeed at NASA and in life.
Video from NASA tells Katherine’s amazing story:
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