Johnson, Katherine
1918-2020 · Contribution: 1950s-1960s
Orbital mechanics calculations for NASA spaceflight
Portraits are AI-generated interpretations, not photographs.
Impact on the world
Her trajectory calculations were critical to the success of the first U.S. human spaceflights, including John Glenn's orbital mission; later depicted in the book and film Hidden Figures.
Life & background
A physicist and mathematician, Johnson's calculations of orbital mechanics were essential to NASA's early human spaceflight program, including verifying the trajectory for John Glenn's 1962 orbital flight.
Sources
- NASA; Encyclopædia Britannica; National Women's Hall of Fame
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