Katherine Johnson and the Mathematics of the Space Race

Getting astronauts to space and back involves more than rockets and hardware. During America’s space race in the 1950s and 60s, mathematicians performed calculations that determined the geometry for space orbit. Women “computers”, including National Women’s History Museum’s Women Making History honoree Katherine Johnson, were integral members of NASA’s teams. Join us to learn the mathematical concepts behind space orbit and the women who sent America’s astronauts into space.