Uncovering the Genius of Katherine Johnson: A Breakdown of Her Area of Expertise

Uncovering the Genius of Katherine Johnson: A Breakdown of Her Area of Expertise

Katherine Johnson was an African American mathematician whose work during the early years of NASA was crucial to the success of the American space program. She was a woman of exceptional talent, and one whose genius has been acknowledged in recent years. In this article, we will explore Katherine Johnson’s work, her area of expertise, and the reasons she has become an inspiration to so many.

Introduction

Katherine Johnson was born in 1918, in West Virginia, USA. She showed an early aptitude for mathematics, and in 1937, she graduated summa cum laude from West Virginia State College, a historically black college. After graduation, she was offered a job at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), which later became NASA.

Body

The early years at NACA were a challenge for Katherine Johnson, as she was hired as a “colored computer.” This was a term used to describe women who were hired to do computations by hand, as there were no electronic computers at the time. Despite the racial and gender barriers, Johnson soon proved her worth, and was tasked with calculations for the flight trajectories of rockets and spacecraft.

One of Johnson’s most notable achievements was her work on the trajectory for the launch of the Friendship 7 mission in 1962. This mission made John Glenn the first American to orbit the Earth. Johnson’s calculations were so accurate that Glenn refused to fly until she had manually verified the electronic computations.

Johnson’s work was not limited to flight trajectories. During the Apollo program, she worked on calculations for the guidance systems of the Lunar Lander and the Apollo Command Module. Her work was crucial to the success of the Apollo 11 mission, which put the first humans on the Moon.

Johnson’s area of expertise was celestial mechanics, which involves the use of mathematics to understand the motion of celestial objects. This area of expertise was crucial to the early years of NASA, as it enabled scientists to understand how to launch spacecraft into orbit, navigate them during flight, and land them on other celestial bodies.

Conclusion

Katherine Johnson is an extraordinary person whose genius has been celebrated in recent years. Her story is one of perseverance in the face of adversity, and a testament to the power of dedication and hard work. Johnson’s area of expertise was crucial to the early years of NASA, and her calculations were fundamental to the success of the American space program. Her legacy will continue to inspire generations to come.

In conclusion, Katherine Johnson’s work and her area of expertise are a remarkable example of what can be achieved with dedication and hard work. Her work has showcased the contributions of women and people of color in science and mathematics. Her contributions will always be celebrated as an inspiration to future generations.