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History of NASA
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The Women of NASA
Women have been an integral part of NACA/NASA operations since 1922. They have played important roles such as mathematician, computer, astronaut, engineer, and supervisors. -
Women played crucial roles in the space program, yet we don't know much about them. Why?
While many stories from NASA's Apollo program are common knowledge, the crucial roles women played is practically nonexistent. -
Who Was Katherine Johnson?
Short biography on Katherine Johnson, research mathematician for NASA who calculated the trajectory of the first American astronaut into space. -
NASA Names Headquarters After ‘Hidden Figure’ Mary W. Jackson
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine announced Wednesday the agency’s headquarters building in Washington, D.C., will be named after Mary W. Jackson, the first African American female engineer at NASA.
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The Story of NASA’s Real “Hidden Figures”
African-American women working behind the scenes as “human computers” were vital to the Space Race
The women "computers" pose for a group photo in 1953.
Shavin, N. (2016, April 15). NASA’s 'Rocket girls' are no longer forgotten history. Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/nasas-rocket-girls-are-no-longer-forgotten-history-180958791/
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From Hidden to Modern Figures
Includes links to Mary W. Jackson, Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and their contribution to NASA.
Videos
At a time when American space exploration was dominated by men, mathematician Katherine Johnson broke through gender and racial barriers to help change our understanding of the cosmos forever.
Katherine Johnson: Trailblazing NASA mathematician [Video]. (2022). ClickView. https://clickv.ie/w/_Zav
Series Women and the American Story
In her book Hidden Figures, author Margot Lee Shetterly gives name and voice to the African-American women who worked as human "computers" in the space program.
Blair, E. (2016, December 16). 'Hidden figures' no more: Meet the Black women who helped send America to space. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2016/12/16/505569187/hidden-figures-no-more-meet-the-black-women-who-helped-send-america-to-space
This quick history lesson is all about the women scientists behind NASA's historic achievements, from John Glenn's first orbit with Friendship 7 to Apollo 11's mission to the moon.
Twinkl Educational Publishing. (2021, September 18). Women scientists behind NASA's greatest achievements | Quick history lesson | Twinkl. YouTube. https://youtu.be/Y5_C_sO9rPE