“I did the calculations to put him into orbit.”
That’s Katherine Johnson, talking toAARPabout how she helped put astronaut John Glenn into space.
But here’s what really happened.
“John Glenn said, ‘What did the girl get?
If she agrees with the computer, then I’ll trust the computer.’
According to herNASA biography, Johnson was known for her “brilliance with numbers.”
She started at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics in 1953, which eventually became NASA.
“My dad’s a NASA research scientist,” she toldAmsterdam News.
“I knew them.
I knew they worked with him.”
Shetterly’s book was optioned for the Oscar-nominated movie “Hidden Figures” before it was even finished.
“It’s complicated,” she toldHello Beautiful.
“Definitely racism andsexismplayed a big role in why the story hasn’t been told before.”
“I certainly never expected any glory.
I was just doing the job I was hired to do.
NASA dedicated a new building to her, The Katherine G. Johnson Computational Research Facility in Hampton, Virginia.
Johnson’s response to the honor, reported byNASA, was typical of her humble and logical approach.
“You want my honest answer?
I think they’re crazy.”
She was an American hero and her pioneering legacy will never be forgotten.
