{"id":496324,"date":"2023-08-25T10:03:33","date_gmt":"2023-08-25T14:03:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/?post_type=press-release&p=496324"},"modified":"2023-08-25T10:03:33","modified_gmt":"2023-08-25T14:03:33","slug":"katherine-johnsons-continuing-legacy-at-ivv-beyond","status":"publish","type":"press-release","link":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/news-release\/katherine-johnsons-continuing-legacy-at-ivv-beyond\/","title":{"rendered":"Katherine Johnson\u2019s Continuing Legacy at IV&V, Beyond"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>On Aug. 26, 1918, in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, Katherine Johnson, a future hero to American space travel and exploration was born.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She was the youngest of four children. Her mother was a schoolteacher and her father a lumberman, handyman, and farmer who also worked at West Virginia\u2019s Greenbrier Hotel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Katherine\u2019s aptitude for math and science was evident early and her parents arranged for her and her siblings\u2019 education to be a priority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She graduated high school at only 14 and attended West Virginia State College, a historically Black college. When West Virginia decided to quietly integrate its graduate schools in 1939, West Virginia State\u2019s president, Dr. John W. Davis, selected her and two men to be the first black students offered spots at the state\u2019s flagship school, West Virginia University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1953, in a time of racial segregation, she started a job as a human \u201ccomputer\u201d with the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), the predecessor to NASA. She worked in the West Area Computing section at Langley Research Center on a team headed by fellow West Virginian Dorothy Vaughan. This turned into a permanent position and set the trajectory for Katherine\u2019s role in space exploration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p> In 1961, Johnson did trajectory analysis for Alan Shepard\u2019s Freedom 7 mission, America\u2019s first human spaceflight. In 1960, she and engineer Ted Skopinski coauthored Determination of Azimuth Angle at Burnout for Placing a Satellite Over a Selected Earth Position, a report laying out the equations describing an orbital spaceflight in which the landing position of the spacecraft is specified. It was the first time a woman in the Flight Research Division had received credit as an author of a research report.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Her expertise was key to John Glenn\u2019s orbit around Earth in 1962, with Glenn putting much of his confidence in Katherine to make the mission a success. As a part of the preflight checklist, Glenn asked engineers to \u201cget the girl\u201d\u2014Johnson\u2014to run the same numbers through the same equations that had been programmed into the computer, but by hand, on her desktop mechanical calculating machine.  \u201cIf she says they\u2019re good,\u2019\u201d Katherine Johnson remembers the astronaut saying, \u201cthen I\u2019m ready to go.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Katherine co-authored more than 20 scientific papers and was instrumental in many of NASA\u2019s early missions including Project Apollo\u2019s Lunar Module with the lunar-orbiting Command and Service Module, the Space Shuttle and the Earth Resources Technology Satellite. But while her calculations made reaching for the stars possible, many didn\u2019t know her name until the 2016 film \u201cHidden Figures\u201d told the story of Katherine, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson.<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-none \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/23178940342-d13d4aa5f6-o.jpg\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1755\" height=\"2048\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/23178940342-d13d4aa5f6-o.jpg?w=1755\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"Former NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson is seen after President Barack Obama presented her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2015, during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington.\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/23178940342-d13d4aa5f6-o.jpg 2686w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/23178940342-d13d4aa5f6-o.jpg?resize=257,300 257w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/23178940342-d13d4aa5f6-o.jpg?resize=768,896 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/23178940342-d13d4aa5f6-o.jpg?resize=877,1024 877w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/23178940342-d13d4aa5f6-o.jpg?resize=1316,1536 1316w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/23178940342-d13d4aa5f6-o.jpg?resize=1755,2048 1755w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/23178940342-d13d4aa5f6-o.jpg?resize=343,400 343w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/23178940342-d13d4aa5f6-o.jpg?resize=514,600 514w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/23178940342-d13d4aa5f6-o.jpg?resize=771,900 771w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/23178940342-d13d4aa5f6-o.jpg?resize=1028,1200 1028w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/23178940342-d13d4aa5f6-o.jpg?resize=1714,2000 1714w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1755px) 100vw, 1755px\" loading=\"eager\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">Former NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson is seen after President Barack Obama presented her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2015, during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington.<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>In 2015, President Barack Obama awarded Johnson the Presidential Medal of Freedom, citing her as a pioneering example of African-American women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. \u201cKatherine G. Johnson refused to be limited by society\u2019s expectations of her gender and race, while expanding the boundaries of humanity\u2019s reach,\u201d said Charles Bolden, NASA’s first Black administrator and a former astronaut.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2019, the NASA Independent Verification and Validation Facility in Fairmont, West Virginia, was re-named for Katherine Johnson, and the change was honored with a ceremony attended by several West Virginia political leaders and Johnson\u2019s family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cKatherine Johnson was a true pioneer and as a West Virginia native, and West Virginia State University graduate, it is an honor to have our Program anchored in a physical facility, in West Virginia, that bears her name,\u201d Program Director Wes Deadrick has said. \u201cFrequently, when I pull onto University Drive and see her name on the front of our building, I am reminded of challenges and adversity she faced and strived to overcome on a daily basis.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Katherine Johnson IV&V Facility Redesignation Ceremonies\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/l18Wq6Aihs8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Johnson died Feb. 24, 2020, but her legacy lives on at NASA and especially within the walls of the IV&V Facility named in her honor. Every year on Aug. 26, West Virginia marks \u2018Katherine Johnson Day\u2019 to celebrate her impact on the world of STEM, space exploration, and American history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Celebrating Katherine Johnson Day And Women's Equality Day With The IV&V Program\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/tXKX1nfZaZI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Johnson\u2019s images and words of wisdom adorn the IV&V Facility, and each year employees of the program reflect on how her memory inspires the work they do today. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>More information on Katherine Johnson\u2019s career, legacy, and STEM contributions and more, visit: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/langley\/katherine-johnson\">https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/langley\/katherine-johnson<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/feature\/goddard\/2019\/west-virginia-nasa-facility-renamed-after-agency-icon\">https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/feature\/goddard\/2019\/west-virginia-nasa-facility-renamed-after-agency-icon<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/feature\/not-so-hidden-anymore-nasa-ivv-facility-wv-leaders-celebrate-katherine-johnson-day\">https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/feature\/not-so-hidden-anymore-nasa-ivv-facility-wv-leaders-celebrate-katherine-johnson-day<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On Aug. 26, 1918, in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, Katherine Johnson, a future hero to American space travel and exploration was born. She was the youngest of four children. Her mother was a schoolteacher and her father a lumberman, handyman, and farmer who also worked at West Virginia\u2019s Greenbrier Hotel. Katherine\u2019s aptitude for math [...]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":67,"featured_media":132499,"template":"","meta":{"nasa_hds_core_meta_l10n":"en-US","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_editor":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_contacts":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_topic":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_linked_locations":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_related_articles":[],"hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_id":"","hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_type":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_x":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_y":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_gallery_images":[]},"categories":[2859],"news-tags":[],"internal-terms":[3916],"coauthors":[8625],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Katherine Johnson\u2019s Continuing Legacy at IV&V, Beyond","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/news-release\/katherine-johnsons-continuing-legacy-at-ivv-beyond\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/news-release\/katherine-johnsons-continuing-legacy-at-ivv-beyond\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/dsc_1434_cc2.webp?w=150&h=150&crop=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/dsc_1434_cc2.webp"},"articleSection":"NASA Centers & Facilities","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Michael Asbury"}],"creator":["Michael Asbury"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"NASA","logo":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/themes\/nasa\/assets\/images\/nasa-logo.svg"},"keywords":["NASA Centers & Facilities","Katherine Johnson IV and V Facility"],"dateCreated":"2023-08-25T14:03:33Z","datePublished":"2023-08-25T14:03:33Z","dateModified":"2023-08-25T14:03:33Z"},"rendered":"<meta name=\"parsely-title\" content=\"Katherine Johnson\u2019s Continuing Legacy at IV&V, Beyond\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-link\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/news-release\/katherine-johnsons-continuing-legacy-at-ivv-beyond\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-type\" content=\"post\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-image-url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/dsc_1434_cc2.webp?w=150&h=150&crop=1\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-pub-date\" content=\"2023-08-25T14:03:33Z\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-section\" content=\"NASA Centers & Facilities\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-tags\" content=\"NASA Centers & Facilities,Katherine Johnson IV and V Facility\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-author\" content=\"Michael Asbury\" \/>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/nasa.gov\/p.js"},"read_time":4,"featured_image":{"id":132499,"file":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/dsc_1434_cc2.webp","title":"IVV Facility","alt":"Katherine Johnson IV&V Facility","caption":"Katherine Johnson IV&V Facility"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press-release\/496324"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press-release"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/press-release"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/67"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press-release\/496324\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":499954,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press-release\/496324\/revisions\/499954"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/132499"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=496324"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=496324"},{"taxonomy":"news-tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-tags?post=496324"},{"taxonomy":"internal-terms","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/internal-terms?post=496324"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=496324"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}