The article highlights the contributions of unheralded NASA workers, particularly women known as "human computers," who calculated orbital trajectories for the first American astronauts.
Focuses on individuals such as Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Dorothy Vaughan, who were crucial to the success of NASA's early space missions.
"Hidden Figures," both a book and a movie, celebrates these contributions.
History of Human Computers at NASA
1935: National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), NASA's precursor, started hiring women as computers.
Tasked with performing mathematical calculations by hand.
Worked at Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory in Virginia.
Historical Context:
Similar roles existed in late 19th and early 20th centuries, such as women at Harvard University analyzing star photos.
Notable figures like Williamina Fleming and Annie Jump Cannon made significant discoveries.
World War II:
NACA expanded its pool, recruiting African-American women.
Segregation required them to work in a separate section, West Area Computers.
Over time, these women became engineers and electronic computer programmers, integral to missions like John Glenn's 1962 orbit.
Individual Contributions
Mary Jackson (1921-2005)
Origin: Hampton, Virginia.
Education: Graduated with a B.Sc. in Mathematics and Physical Science from Hampton Institute.
Career: Initially a schoolteacher, joined NACA as a computer in the West Area Computing section.
Worked on wind tunnels and flight experiments.
Advocated for women and minorities.
Became an engineer and later an equal opportunity specialist.
Retired in 1985, passed away in 2005.
Katherine Johnson (1918-2020)
Early Talent: Displayed brilliance in West Virginia schools, promoted ahead of her age.
Education: Attended West Virginia State College, with a significant high school stint at its campus.
Career:
Joined West Area Computing section in 1953.
Key contributions during the early space race, including trajectory analysis for Alan Shepard's and John Glenn's missions.
Calculated trajectories for Project Apollo, worked on space shuttle and Earth Resources Satellite.
Retired in 1986, received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015, passed away in 2020.
Dorothy Vaughan (1910-2008)
Early Career: Math teacher in Virginia.
Joined Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory in 1943, initially in a temporary role during WWII.
Achievements:
Became the first black NACA supervisor in 1949.
Expert in FORTRAN programming and contributed to the Scout rocket project.
Retired in 1971, passed away in 2008.
Additional Information
Includes links to detailed NASA biographies of Jackson, Johnson, and Vaughan.
Article updated by Tereza Pultarova in 2022.
Elizabeth Howell, an experienced space journalist, contributed to the piece.
Resources
NASA biographies of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson.
Space Forums for ongoing space discussions.
Conclusion
The article sheds light on the crucial but often underrecognized contributions of women, especially African-American women, to NASA's early successes in space exploration.