Mathematics
Katherine Johnson
The mathematics behind a journey beyond Earth.
The problem
A question worth answering.
Spaceflight required exact trajectories and confidence in calculations under extraordinary risk.
What they did
At NASA, Johnson calculated and checked trajectories for early American space missions. John Glenn requested that she verify computer calculations for his orbital flight.
What changed
Her work supported Project Mercury and Apollo. It also made visible the expertise of mathematicians left out of many spaceflight stories.
Where you meet their legacy
In the knowledge, systems and people who carry the work forward today.
Evidence and further reading
This story does not assign sole credit for a collective achievement.