Comic illustration of mathematician, Katherine Johnson

Illustrations by Chris Danger

Katherine Johnson

Her math skills helped launch astronauts into the history books.

January 2, 2023

By Alicia Green

In 1962, astronaut John Glenn was preparing to make a historic spaceflight. But he didn’t trust NASA’s computers to get him to space and back safely. Computers were fairly new and not as reliable as they are today. One error could mean the difference between life and death. Glenn trusted only one person to double-check the computer’s calculations: Katherine Johnson.

She was one of the U.S. space agency’s skilled mathematicians. Johnson calculated the trajectory of the flight herself, helping Glenn become the first American to orbit Earth. During her 33 years at NASA, she made some of the most historic missions in space exploration possible.

Counting Stars

Johnson was born in West Virginia in 1918. From a young age, she had a curious mind.

“She loved math from the time she was born,” says Margot Lee Shetterly. Her book Hidden Figures highlights Black female mathematicians who worked at NASA during the early days of the space program. “She counted everything—houses, stairs, dishes, the stars in the sky.”

Johnson was so smart that she skipped several grades. In 1937, she graduated from college with a degree in mathematics.

At the time, less than 5 percent of women earned college degrees. Johnson went into teaching, one of the few careers open to women.

NASA's Best

In 1953, Johnson got an opportunity that would change her life. She started working at the Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, which later became part of NASA. Johnson was hired as a “human computer.” She and other female mathematicians solved the difficult math equations needed to design, test, and fly planes—and later, spacecraft.

Despite their important work, the women were paid less than men who had similar jobs. Also, when Johnson started working at Langley, segregation was legal. She and her Black co-workers were kept separate from White women who did the same job.

Still, Johnson’s talents would not remain hidden. Before working with Glenn, she helped calculate the flight path for America’s first human spaceflight, by Alan Shepard, in 1961.

But Johnson was proudest of her role in the Apollo 11 mission in 1969. She helped astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin return home safely from the moon. They had a small window of time to blast off and reconnect with their command module orbiting the moon. Johnson’s team made the precise calculations that enabled the two spacecraft to link up for the trip back to Earth.

An Inspiration for All

In 2016, a movie based on Shetterly’s book was released.

It wasn’t until then that Johnson and other human computers gained worldwide recognition. NASA later named two buildings after Johnson, who died in 2020 at 101 years old.

“She would say, ‘I loved every single day of my job at NASA,’” Shetterly says.

Count Her In

Here are a few important moments in Johnson’s life.

1929: At just 10 years old, Johnson starts high school. She graduates from college when she is 18—the age at which many people start college.

1953: Johnson begins her work as a human computer. She and other women use pencils, paper, simple adding machines, and their smarts to make important calculations.