Corcaigh Posted February 24, 2020 Share Posted February 24, 2020 RIP. An American legend. "Ms. Johnson helped our nation enlarge the frontiers of space even as she made huge strides that also opened doors for women and people of color in the universal human quest to explore space. Her dedication and skill as a mathematician helped put humans on the moon and before that made it possible for our astronauts to take the first steps in space that we now follow on a journey to Mars. Her Presidential Medal of Freedom was a well-deserved recognition." https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-administrator-statement-on-passing-of-katherine-johnson https://www.nasa.gov/content/katherine-johnson-biography "In 1962, as NASA prepared for the orbital mission of John Glenn, Johnson was called upon to do the work that she would become most known for. The complexity of the orbital flight had required the construction of a worldwide communications network, linking tracking stations around the world to IBM computers in Washington, Cape Canaveral in Florida, and Bermuda. The computers had been programmed with the orbital equations that would control the trajectory of the capsule in Glenn’s Friendship 7 mission from liftoff to splashdown, but the astronauts were wary of putting their lives in the care of the electronic calculating machines, which were prone to hiccups and blackouts. As a part of the preflight checklist, Glenn asked engineers to “get the girl”—Johnson—to run the same numbers through the same equations that had been programmed into the computer, but by hand, on her desktop mechanical calculating machine. “If she says they’re good,’” Katherine Johnson remembers the astronaut saying, “then I’m ready to go.” Glenn’s flight was a success, and marked a turning point in the competition between the United States and the Soviet Union in space." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlvinWaltonIsMyBoy Posted February 24, 2020 Share Posted February 24, 2020 Hero. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
China Posted February 24, 2020 Share Posted February 24, 2020 RIP Ms. Johnson. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGoodBits Posted February 24, 2020 Share Posted February 24, 2020 So glad her story was told. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Sinister Posted February 24, 2020 Share Posted February 24, 2020 That is a long life, well lived 👍 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skinsmarydu Posted February 24, 2020 Share Posted February 24, 2020 I just saw this...RIP , Ma'am. My dad worked with the engineers who designed 39A & 39B, and he told me something I would always remember men only got to the moon because they believed in the "women on the team". We're losing great people who can tell our history, first hand. When you have a few minutes to chat with one, take that time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Sisko Posted February 25, 2020 Share Posted February 25, 2020 Black girl magic personified. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcl05 Posted February 25, 2020 Share Posted February 25, 2020 A hero and a genius. Not many brains like that on the planet. Incredible person and story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.