The movie Hidden Figures was a movie about African American mathematicians who worked at NASA during the Space Race. In 1961, Katherine Johnson worked as a “computer” in the segregated West Area Computers Division of Langley Aeronautical Research center in Hampton, VA with her colleagues, Mary Jackson, an aspiring engineer, and Dorothy Vaughn, the unofficial supervisor. After a successful Russian satellite was sent into space, the pressure to send Americans into space increased. Katherine’s supervisor, Vivian Mitchell, assigned her to Al Harrison’s Space Task Group. Katherine becomes the first African American woman in the building- which means there are no bathrooms for her. Her colleagues are disrespectful- especially head engineer Paul Stafford.
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As the final arrangements for John Glenn’s launch are made, Katherine is informed that she is no longer needed in the Space Task Group and that she is to be transferred back to the West Area Computers. However, just before the launch, a discrepancy is found in the calculations and Glenn asks that Katherine check the calculations. She checks the calculations and quickly returns the results back to the control room, where the door is slammed in her face. Harrison brings her into the control room so they can give the information to Glenn. After launch, the space capsule gives a warning light indicating a heat shield problem, so mission control decided to land after three orbits instead of the planned seven. Katherine suggests that they leave the rocket attached to the heat shield for reentry, to which Harrison agrees to. Her suggestion proves to be correct and the Friendship 7 safely lands in the ocean. The mathematicians are laid off and replaced by electronic computers. Katherine is reassigned to the Analysis and Computation Division, Dorothy continues to supervise the Programming Department, and Mary earns her engineering
As the final arrangements for John Glenn’s launch are made, Katherine is informed that she is no longer needed in the Space Task Group and that she is to be transferred back to the West Area Computers. However, just before the launch, a discrepancy is found in the calculations and Glenn asks that Katherine check the calculations. She checks the calculations and quickly returns the results back to the control room, where the door is slammed in her face. Harrison brings her into the control room so they can give the information to Glenn. After launch, the space capsule gives a warning light indicating a heat shield problem, so mission control decided to land after three orbits instead of the planned seven. Katherine suggests that they leave the rocket attached to the heat shield for reentry, to which Harrison agrees to. Her suggestion proves to be correct and the Friendship 7 safely lands in the ocean. The mathematicians are laid off and replaced by electronic computers. Katherine is reassigned to the Analysis and Computation Division, Dorothy continues to supervise the Programming Department, and Mary earns her engineering