Released on December 25, 2016, the movie Hidden Figures is the true story of African American mathematician
Katherine Johnson and her two assistants Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson and
their work with NASA in launching the first Americans into space.
In 1953, Katherine Johnson accepted a position as a teacher and
"human computer" with the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics
(NACA). Later in 1958, NACA became NASA, and Johnson transitioned into a new
role responsible for creating the equations and performing calculations
necessary for manned space flight. During Johnson's early years at NASA, she
found allies and those who refused to work with a woman, especially an African
American woman. Johnson's intellect, determination, and assertiveness eventually
resulted in her becoming the first woman in NASA to have her name attached to a
NASA report that she was responsible for publishing.
On February 20 1962, American Astronaut John Glenn lifted-off into
low earth orbit aboard his Mercury spacecraft, Friendship 7. Glenn was the 3rd
American to fly into space, spending more time in orbit than anyone else up
until that flight. Before Glenn's historic flight he requested Katherine
Johnson, who had built her reputation as one of NASA's premiere mathematicians,
to verify the orbital trajectory calculations performed by a computer.
"Get the girl to check the numbers...if she says the numbers are good
[then] I'm ready to go."
Johnson would go on to work on the Apollo and Space Shuttle
Programs, finally retiring from NASA in 1986.
Just as Katherine Johnson's work with NASA
undoubtedly played an important role in America's manned space program, so did
Pan American World Airways. Pan Am was no stranger to building and maintaining
infrastructure where none existed before. Before World War II, Pan Am
constructed a series of airfields along with supporting facilities across the
Pacific Ocean, allowing its fleet of flying-boat Clippers to travel from the
West Coast United States to the Asian mainland. During World War Two, Pan Am's
experience in building operational airfield facilities in far-flung places was
put to the test by the United States government all across South America and
Africa. During the Eisenhower administration, Pan Am was contracted to manage
an Air Force missile testing facility. In 1953, Pan Am would create a separate
subsidy to manage its missile work with the Air Force and later NASA, known as
the Guided Missiles Range Division, and later, the Aerospace Services Division.
Pan Am won contracts to maintain rocket facilities at Cape
Canaveral and operate ocean-based tracking platforms for spacecraft through the
1960's and 1970's. In the 1980's, as NASA was planning to launch regular
shuttle flights, possibly as many as 40 per year, they expressed interested in
Pan Am's flight training program, which had arguably produced the airline
industry's safest pilots and flight crews.
Part of the Pan Am Museum Foundation's mission is to encourage
America's students to continue in the footsteps of pioneers such as Katherine
Johnson. The Foundation seeks to assist students who are looking to excel in
and pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). The Pan American Museum Foundation strives to continue Pan
Am's legacy in supporting America's aerospace industry through its youth
Educational Program and STEM Education.
For more information about the Pan Am Museum Foundation and its
Educational Programming visit www.thepanammuseum.org.
Subscribe to the official Education Blog of the Pan Am Museum
Foundation by submitting your email address in the "Follow by Email"
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Sources and additional Information:
Katherine Johnson:
John Glenn:
- "Glenn Orbits Earth" Official NASA account of John
Glenn's Mercury 7 flight published in 2012.
Pan Am:
-"Pan Am and the Race to Space" Article by Doug Miller about the
involvement of Pan Am in America's rocket and space program. Published by the
Pan Am Historical Foundation
-IAP company history page- IAP is the current owner of the former
Pan Am World Services division, once responsible for maintaining NASA rocket
ranges.
