Katherine G. Johnson was a pioneering mathematician and aerospace technologist whose work at NASA was crucial in the success of several space missions. She was born on August 26, 1918, in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. Johnson’s calculations of orbital mechanics were critical in the success of early space missions, including John Glenn’s orbital flight in 1962.

Her contributions to NASA, particularly her work in calculating flight trajectories and the path for the first American in space, Alan Shepard, and later, the Apollo moon landings, were groundbreaking. Despite facing racial and gender barriers, Johnson’s work had a profound impact on space exploration.

She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015 and has been honored in many ways for her trailblazing role in science and mathematics. Her legacy was also highlighted in the movie Hidden Figures, which chronicles her life and the lives of other African-American women who worked at NASA during the Space Race.