Human Computers: Launching the Space Age

A: When we talk about the early days of space exploration, images of rocket launches and astronauts often come to mind. But behind every triumphant flight, every complex trajectory, there was a legion of unsung heroes, particularly a group known as 'human computers'.

B: Human computers? That sounds like something straight out of a retro sci-fi movie. What exactly does that mean?

A: Precisely. Before the digital age, before powerful electronic computers were commonplace, these were brilliant mathematicians, often women, who performed intricate calculations by hand. They were absolutely essential for everything, from aeronautical design to plotting flight paths for rockets.

B: So, people were literally the processors. That's incredible to think about, given how much we rely on technology now.

A: Absolutely. And many of these pioneering women worked at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, or NACA, which was actually the precursor to NASA. But here's a crucial piece of the story: many of the most exceptional of these human computers were Black women, working in a segregated facility called the 'West Area Computing Unit'.

B: Segregated? So, they were doing all this groundbreaking work, but still kept separate?

A: Exactly. They faced immense systemic barriers, yet their intellectual contributions were foundational. Among them was an extraordinary woman named Katherine Johnson, whose story we're going to dive into next.

A: So, picking up right there, we have to spotlight Katherine Johnson. Her contributions weren't just significant; they were absolutely pivotal to America's space ambitions.

B: Pivotal how? I mean, what exactly did she do that stood out amongst all these brilliant women?

A: Well, for starters, she was the one John Glenn personally requested to verify the calculations for his Friendship 7 orbital mission. This was a man about to launch into space, trusting her mind more than the nascent electronic computers.

B: Wait, he specifically asked for her? That's incredible. So, basically, if she said the numbers were good, he went with it?

A: Precisely. And that trust was well-placed. Her work ensured his safe return. But it didn't stop there. She also performed critical calculations for the Apollo 11 mission's rendezvous path, the very trajectory that got Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to the moon and back.

B: The moon landing... her calculations were behind that?

A: Every bit of it. And even earlier, for Alan Shepard's first American spaceflight, she was doing the trajectory analysis. Her precision and insight were unparalleled, earning her the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015. A truly remarkable legacy.

B: Wow. From verifying Glenn to getting us to the moon. Her impact is staggering.

A: And while Katherine Johnson's name rightly became widely known for her staggering impact, it’s crucial to remember she was part of a larger team of extraordinary women whose contributions were equally vital, though often unsung. This truly was a legacy of trailblazers.

B: So, beyond Katherine, who else really stands out from that era at NACA?

A: Absolutely. One figure who quickly comes to mind is Dorothy Vaughan. She was a brilliant mathematician who, in 1949, became NACA's first Black supervisor. Imagine the barriers she broke just to get that position. And when digital computers started coming in, she didn't just adapt; she taught herself FORTRAN programming and then taught it to her entire team, ensuring they all stayed relevant.

B: That's incredible foresight, preparing her team for such a massive technological shift. It wasn't just about her own career, but elevating everyone around her.

A: Precisely. And then there's Mary Jackson. She started as a human computer under Dorothy Vaughan, but she had aspirations to become an engineer. In a segregated era, she actually had to fight to get permission to take engineering classes at an all-white school. She persevered, completed those courses, and in 1958, became NASA's first Black female engineer.

B: To literally fight for the right to learn... that's a level of determination we can barely imagine today.

A: It really is. These women, and many others, laid foundational groundwork. Their stories, often overlooked for decades, were finally brought to mainstream attention by Margot Lee Shetterly’s incredible book and the subsequent film, 'Hidden Figures.' It truly illuminated their collective genius and resilience.