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Celebrating the contribution of women in science & engineering
Last year, American mathematician Katherine Johnson passed away at the age of 101. Portrayed in the hugely popular film Hidden Figures, her calculations of orbital mechanics as a NASA employee were critical to the success of the first and subsequent U.S. crewed spaceflights.
During her 35-year career at NASA and its predecessor, she earned a reputation for mastering complex manual calculations and helped pioneer the use of computers to perform the tasks. The space agency noted her “historical role as one of the first African-American women to work as a NASA scientist.”
Hot on the heels of International Women’s Day (8 March), we take this opportunity to honour Katherine Johnson’s legacy, and celebrate the role of all our SKA colleagues in helping make our own giant leap possible as we prepare to embark on the construction of the SKA telescopes.
Credit: Steve Breen, The San Diego Union-Tribune, Creators.com
