The Legendary NASA Scientist Katherine Johnson Has Died At The Age Of 101

We're saddened by the passing of celebrated #HiddenFigures mathematician Katherine Johnson. Today, we celebrate her 101 years of life and honor her legacy of excellence that broke down racial and social barriers: https://t.co/Tl3tsHAfYB pic.twitter.com/dGiGmEVvAW

— NASA (@NASA) February 24, 2020

Katherine Johnson, the ‘hidden figure’ at NASA during the 1960s space race, has died at 101. Johnson developed equations that helped send astronauts into orbit & the moon. She codified mathematical principles that remain at the core of manned space travel.

She was the mathematician who calculated the flight path for America’s first space mission and the first landing on the moon.

Taraji P. Henson introduces NASA physicist Katherine Johnson, a subject of the film "Hidden Figures," at #Oscars. pic.twitter.com/SjGsh2QbOa

— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) February 27, 2017

Katherine Johnson not only helped calculate the trajectories that took our Apollo astronauts to the Moon — she was champion for women and minorities in the space program and the world as a whole. We honor her memory today.

RIP Katherine Johnson (1918-2020). What a life:

🙏 One of the first African-American women to work at NASA.
🙏 Worked as a “human computer" for Mercury, Apollo, Shuttle programs
🙏 John Glenn requested she personally re-check computer calculations before his Friendship 7 mission pic.twitter.com/qxhdZ4edeJ

— Popular Science (@PopSci) February 24, 2020