Katherine G. Johnson, Miriam Daniel Mann, Mary Jackson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Kathryn Peddrew* and many other African American mathematicians served an unlauded, but critical role in getting America to the Moon. These amazing women were instrumental in our early space program, despite having to deal with both racism and sexism. In 2015 Katherine G. Johnson was awarded was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her work from missions covering the Gemini and Apollo programs, and continuing on to the Space Shuttle.
Let’s take a moment and recognize how the strength and perseverance of these remarkable women as they did the complex calculations that brought our astronauts safely home. Thank you, for blazing a trail for future generations of women in STEM. You are truly unsung heroines!
* I know there were many other women who were part of the team, and I hate leaving them off. If you know of other team members, please leave a comment or send me a note and I will get them added here! thanks!
Read about their achievements over at mentalfloss.com
