Shoot for The Stars: Nasa’s Katherine Johnson

Early in 2017, a new blockbuster movie hit theaters nationwide. Out-grossing high production films such as “Star Trek Beyond,” “X-Men Apocalypse,” and “La La Land,” the movie “Hidden Figures” follows the brilliant minds of three African American women working in NASA. One of these women was Katherine Johnson. She was a viable asset for the country and an indispensable figure to America’s success in the Space Race. Not only was she a prominent woman in the mathematical field, she was also one of the few African Americans successful in that arena at the time. Not only did she shatter every barrier imposed on her, she also inspired and paved the way for future minorities who aspire to be a part of STEM. Johnson’s ability to shine like a star in a heavily male-dominated field earns her the title of Greatest of All Time.

Being the youngest of four children, Katherine Johnson was born in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, on August 26, 1918. The intelligent child excelled in everything she did and was undoubtedly destined for greatness. Ever since Johnson was young, she was entranced with math. She tried to count everything: the steps on the stairs, the dishes in the sink, and the stars in the sky. She even followed her brother to elementary school before she could attend and listened in on his classes. Johnson started second grade when she was just four years old and finished eighth grade by the tender age of ten.

Katherine Johnson as a young child

Her thirst for education only intensified as she grew older, and her family fully supported her passions. Because of the climate of discrimination at the time, there were no public high schools for African Americans in her hometown. Each autumn, Johnson’s father drove 120 miles to the town of Institute, West Virginia, enabling her to continue her education, only returning to White Sulphur Springs during the summer. The undying support of Johnson’s family served as fuel for the takeoff of Johnson’s mathematical career.

After graduating high school, she attended West Virginia University, a historically black college. She eagerly sought after every math course that was available to her and was tutored by professors including Angie Turner King and W.W. Schieffelin Claytor (both major influences in the African American community). Being at the top of her class, she graduated at the impressive age of eighteen with degrees in both mathematics and French. She quit her first job of teaching when she married her first husband, James Francis Goble. Johnson later enrolled in a graduate math program, making her one of the first African Americans to attend graduate school. However, her time in the program was short-lived, as she decided to quit after giving birth to her three children: Constance, Joylette and Katherine. Nonetheless, her ambition further propelled her to inscribe her name in history books.

In 1956, an inoperable brain tumor untimely robbed Johnson of her loving husband. A few years later, she remarried to James A. Johnson, a U.S. Army officer. However, grief did not stop her from reaching towards the stars and fulfilling her destiny. It was in 1952 that Johnson first heard that NACA, a precursor to NASA, was in search of brilliant minds capable of doing mathematics and calculating paths for space travel. Little did she know, this was the start of something extraordinary.

Accomplishments

Many of Johnson’s achievements in space exploration contribute to our knowledge of our universe today. Her dedication and persistence to her career had the propitious effect of aiding America’s growing presence in the Technological Age. At the Maneuver Loads Branch of the Flight Research Division of NASA, Johnson analyzed data from flight tests and investigated plane crashes from wake turbulence. Her and her team work was greatly needed when the Soviet satellite, Sputnik was launched in 1957. She was a part of the Space Task Group since she had worked with many of the engineers within it. Before her most famous accomplishment, Johnson had done trajectory analysis for the May 1961 mission, Freedom 7, America’s first human spaceflight. Later, she was also credited on a report about the equations specifying the landing position of a spacecraft. This made her the first woman to be credited with a research report in the Flight Research Division.

John Glenn’s Friendship 7 mission, which would become the turning point of the Space Race, shows the true impact of Johnson’s calculations. Because the mission was such a complicated ordeal, the Friendship 7 mission put computers to work. Its job was to control the capsule’s trajectory by using orbital equations. However, the computers were known for having blackouts and making mistakes. Thus, the astronauts did not trust them. Before the flight, John Glenn himself specifically asked for Johnson to calculate the numbers by hand to make sure the computer wasn’t wrong. It was only after she confirmed the computer’s calculations that John Glenn was “good to go”. The fact that astronauts trusted the calculations of Johnson -- a mere human -- over that of machines just goes to show the brilliance of her mind. In the end, the mission resulted in great success for the U.S.. The trust between Johnson and the spacecraft group was rare and reflected not only the advancement of women in society but also the fight for racial equality.

During her time at NASA, Katherine Johnson was showered with a bounty of awards and honors. She received the NASA Lunar Orbital Award and three NASA Special Achievement Awards. Johnson was also awarded the name of Mathematician of the Year by National Technician Association in 1997. The awards aren’t the only thing that represents her impact on our society. Her speech at the degree ceremony in New York served as powerful inspiration for budding mathematicians and aspiring scientists everywhere. Johnson has also achieved recognition during recent years. In 2015, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and in 2016, a building at NASA was built to honor her. Moreover, Katherine Johnson receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015

Many biographies of her were written and the movie, Hidden Figures which includes her story and contributions to the study of space was made in 2017. This movie was a huge hit and earned 236 million at the box office. The devotion Johnson gave to her research and calculations brought upon great expertise to space travel and advancements to the U.S space program. Her feats inspire many to this day as a woman who pursued a career in a male-dominated field.

When recalling her childhood, it is easy to see why Johnson was destined to succeed. She grew up in a loving home with a hard-working father, a nurturing mother and encouraging siblings. She idolized her father, Joshua Coleman, the most; she saw him as the most handsome, tallest and smartest man on the Earth. Although he only graduated the sixth grade, he had a natural gift and interest when it came to math. They would go over long math problems in her only hard textbook and her father would answer them. She thought the problems were so long and hard, yet her father was able to answer them with quickness. She wanted to be just like her father. The word problems showed her how math was connected to almost everything she saw. She wanted “to know what was going on and why…”

She also wanted to be as hardworking and determined as him. School was very important to her father and he did everything to get all four of his children through college. He would go as far as to move 120 miles from home to the college every year with only a payment of Although some saw him as crazy, he was able to put every child through college.

She did not experience the extent of segregation at work because everyone had a duty that they had to accomplish. No one had the time to discriminate against another race because they were trying to put a man into space and back on Earth, yet she was still a female in a male-dominated workplace. When she asked to attend the all-male meetings, they wouldn’t allow her, but she replied, “Well, is there a law?” They finally gave in and she was able to listen into the discussions about what she was specifically finding calculations for, including John Glenn’s orbit around the earth. When presented with computer calculations detailing his route, he asked, “What did the girl get? If she agrees with the computer, then I’ll trust the computer”. This was when they started using computers for their calculations, so they were still reliant on the “human computers.” She was even able to calculate a few more decimals than the computer. She always did her best in working out math problems because then she would have to do it twice and she never had to.

It became clear that she was superior when it came to complex mathematical calculations as John Glenn insisted that she double check the digital computer’s calculations before taking off. Johnson was an excellent employee as she always did her work diligently and without question. However, what makes Johnson truly the greatest of all time is not her raw intelligence and intellect, but her fight to receive the credit she truly deserves. Despite being quietly known for having exceptional mathematical prowess, her colleagues were far from eager in regards to giving her any actual credit for her work. In fact, no female employee at NASA had ever had her name included in a report until 1960. Even while working in this hostile work environment in which she was almost constantly told she was not good enough, Johnson always understood her value to the country and insisted on being involved in matters many deemed were simply none of her concern.

While working for NASA, Johnson and engineer Ted Skopinski laid the mathematical foundation for almost the entirety of America’s first spaceflight in 1961 and orbital mission in 1962, figuring out equations that determined how to launch, track, and maneuver spacecrafts. Being that she is a woman of color and was working in the 1960s, it would have been monumental to claim such a highly-regarded report. Initially, it was planned that Skopinski would finish the report and put his name on it; however, considering she did most of the work, he decided that it was best that she finish it. Consequently, Johnson was able to complete the report on her own and proudly list her name on the front page, marking the first time a woman in her division had her name on any formal record. She continued serving the country as a brilliant mathematician and went on to publish 25 additional papers and reports throughout her career at NASA before retiring in 1986. Due to her incredible efforts, the STEM field allowed for more opportunity for diversity and as a result, her female colleagues were more motivated to speak out and pursue such opportunities in spite of the limitations imposed on them.

Conclusion

Nevertheless, it was not just Johnson’s efficiency or focus on her work that makes her the greatest of all time. It was her constant strive to break down gender and racial barriers that for so long existed with the intention to limit people like her that truly defines the immeasurable impact she has made. Her grit, ambition, strength -- these qualities are what gave meaning to her legacy as a trailblazing woman of color. Decades later her story has reached global levels and inspired millions. It resonates specifically with those a part of underrepresented groups who experience the continued struggles to push remaining boundaries in science, technology, engineering, and math that still exist today. Katherine Johnson’s story is a remarkable piece of history that undeniably grants her the title of the greatest of all time and stands as a reminder to never take no for an answer.