Katherine Johnson

Biography

Katherine Johnson broke barriers as a mathematician at NASA, calculating trajectories, launch windows, and return paths that enabled the Mercury and Apollo missions to succeed. Her brilliance and precision, paired with a quiet determination, helped usher in an era of crewed space exploration and inspired young people everywhere to reach for the stars.

Johnson continued to mentor and advocate for girls and women in STEM after her retirement, embodying grace under pressure and a lifelong curiosity about the universe. She was laid to rest at Hampton Memorial Gardens, leaving a luminous legacy of courage and intellect.