Katherine Coleman Goble Johnson, a NASA mathematician, passed away yesterday at the age of 101.
Her calculations of orbital mechanics were critical to the success of the first and subsequent American crewed spaceflights. Her work on trajectory analysis for Alan Shepard’s 1961 suborbital flight helped NASA to send a human into space.
Johnson’s work prompted many breakthroughs in space exploration, including Neil Armstrong’s “giant leap for mankind” on the Moon.
She had to work in a segregated wing along with other black women mathematicians when she started at NASA predecessor in 1953.
In a statement. NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine said, “Ms. Johnson helped our nation enlarge the frontiers of space even as she made huge strides that also opened doors for women and people of color.”
“Her dedication and skill as a mathematician helped put humans on the Moon and before that made it possible for our astronauts to take the first steps in space that we now follow on a journey to Mars,” he added.
In 2015, Johnson received the Presidential Medal of Freedom – the highest honor bestowed on civilians – from former President Barack Obama for her groundbreaking discoveries.
She was the inspiration for the movie Hidden Figures, which was nominated at Oscars. This brought her legacy to the big screen in 2016.
In 2017, NASA went on to name a building in her honor. At the time, she said in an interview, “I like work. I like the stars and the stories we were telling and it was a joy to contribute to the literature that was going to be coming out. But little did I think it would go this far.”
She was asked what she would tell young engineers who work in the NASA building named after her. She replied, “Do your best, but like it,” Johnson said. “If you don’t like it, shame on you.”
Obama said at the time, “Katherine was a pioneer who broke the boundaries of race and gender, showing generations of young people that everyone can excel in math and science and reach for the stars. If you think your job is pressure-packed, [Johnson’s] meant that forgetting to carry the ‘1’ might send somebody floating off into the solar system.”
