- African-American mathematician whose calculations of orbital mechanics as a NASA employee were critical to the success of the first and subsequent U.S. manned spaceflights.
- During the Oscar Season of February 2020, the Job-based website Indeed released a commercial glorifying the American Space Program and the teamwork it took to land on the moon. For a fraction of a second, Katherine Johnson can be seen jotting down a few orbital mechanics equations on the blackboard that allowed the astronauts to complete the mission successfully.
- Her role in NASA was dramatized in the science fiction television series Space Race (2016).
- Her role in the space program, was brought to public awareness through the non-fiction book Hidden Figures (2016) written by Margot Lee Shetterly, and was eventually given a film treatment.
- She died of natural causes at a retirement community in Newport News, Virginia. She was 101 years old.
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content