Katherine Johnson (born August 26, 1918) is an American physicist, space scientist and mathematician who contributed to the United States’ aeronautics and space programs with the early application of digital electronic computers at NASA. Known for accuracy in computerized celestial navigation, she calculated the trajectory for Project Mercury and the 1969 Apollo 11 flight to the Moon. In November 2015, President Barack Obama included Johnson on a list of 17 Americans to be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, for her pioneering example of African-American women in STEM. Obama also highlighted Johnson in his final State of the Union address on January 12, 2016.
