Katherine Johnson
American mathematician and physicist
Born
August 26th, 1918
106 years ago
Died
February 24th, 2020
5 years ago — 101 years old
Category
Scientists & Innovators
Country
United States
Links & References
A physicist and mathematician contributed significantly to the United States space program, particularly during the early years of NASA. She calculated flight trajectories for the first American in space, Alan Shepard, and provided crucial calculations for the Apollo 11 mission, which landed the first humans on the Moon. In 2015, received the Presidential Medal of Freedom for contributions to the fields of mathematics and aerospace.
Calculated flight trajectories for Apollo 11
Performed critical calculations for Alan Shepard's flight
Worked at NASA for over three decades
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