Northrop Grumman’s space station inventory – named by SS Katherine Johnson in honor of the late mathematician whose work inspired the movie “Hidden Figures” – was launched into orbit on Saturday.
Saturday was the 59th anniversary of John Glenn’s historic launch, in which Johnson provided calculations as part of NASA’s computer pool. Johnson, along with other black women, attended NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va. Worked and processed data that played an important role in several historically manned space missions, reports The Associated Press.
“Mrs. Johnson was chosen for her handwritten calculations that helped launch the first Americans into space, as well as her accomplishments in breaking the glass ceiling to the glass ceiling as a black woman,” said Vice President Frank DeMauro. of Northrop Grumman, according to the AP.
DeMauro also suggested that viewers watch the movie “Hidden Figures” after the launch to learn more about Johnson’s contributions after Saturday’s launch.
Johnson passed away in February last year at the age of 101.
The AP reports that the four-ton capsule, which Northrop Grumman launched for NASA, will provide food to astronauts as well as nearly 120,000 roundworms for a muscle experiment and computer equipment for data processing.
Saturday’s launch was the 15th station inventory Northrop Grumman exported for NASA.