Katherine Johnson, NASA Mathematician and Hidden Figure, Dies at 101

Pioneering NASA mathematician, Katherine Johnson, whose work inspired the story of the 2016 film Hidden Figures, has died at the age of 101. "Our NASA family is sad to learn the news that Katherine Johnson passed away this morning at 101 years old. She was an American hero and her pioneering legacy will never be forgotten," NASA Administrator James Bridenstine announced on Monday.

The @NASA family will never forget Katherine Johnson's courage and the milestones we could not have reached without her. Her story and her grace continue to inspire the world. https://t.co/UPOqo0sLfb pic.twitter.com/xwnRX9oZoi

— Jim Bridenstine (@JimBridenstine) February 24, 2020

"Johnson helped our nation enlarge the frontiers of space even as she made huge strides that also opened doors for women and people of color in the universal human quest to explore space," he continued. "Her dedication and skill as a mathematician helped put humans on the moon and before that made it possible for our astronauts to take the first steps in space that we now follow on a journey to Mars." Born in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, in 1918, Johnson demonstrated advanced mathematical abilities from an early age. According to her NASA biography, she was handpicked to be one of three black students to integrate West Virginia's graduate schools. Johnson was hired by NASA in 1953. She utilized her talent to provide trajectory analysis for Alan Shepard's Freedom 7 mission, America's first human spaceflight, in 1961. She went on to verify the final calculations for John Glenn's Earth orbit in 1962. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2016/08/15/hidden-figures-trailer-a"] Katherine's remarkable real-life story was recognized in the movie Hidden Figures, adapted from the book of the same name. In the film, she was highlighted as one of the three brilliant African-American women who were behind some of NASA's greatest operations in history. Together, Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson crossed a number of significant boundaries, including gender and race lines. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

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