Janelle Monae as Mary Jackson, Taraji P. Henson as Katherin Johnson, and Octavia Spence as Dorothy Vaughn in Hidden Figures. Credit: Fox 2000

Dr. Katherine Johnson, a brilliant African-American mathematician who, along with her colleagues Dorothy Vaughn and Mary Jackson, were mission-critical experts behind one of the greatest operations in U.S. history — the momentous launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit, and his safe return. And now this story, based on an adaptation of the Margot Lee Shetterly book “Hidden Figures: The Story of the African-American Women Who Helped Win the Space Race,” published by HarperCollins, will be made into the movie “Hidden Figures,” set for release on January 13, 2017. These three women crossed all gender, race and professional lines while embarking on the mission to beat the Soviet Union by launching men into space, and eventually landing them on the moon. “Empire” star Taraji P. Henson will play Dr. Johnson, Octavia Spence will play Dorothy Vaughn, and Janelle Monae will play Mary Jackson.

Katherine Johnson in 1966. Credit: NASA

Dr. Johnson’s role in NASA programs has been monumental, and until now, rarely highlighted. Her computations have influenced every major space program from Mercury through the Shuttle program. Johnson was hired as a research mathematician at the Langley Research Center with the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), the agency that preceded NASA, after they opened hiring to African-Americans and women. Johnson exhibited exceptional technical leadership and is known especially for her calculations of the 1961 trajectory for Alan Shepard’s flight as the first American in space. John Glenn also insisted that Dr. Johnson verify the results of the first flight calculation made by an electronic computer for his orbit trajectory, before Glenn flew the Friendship 7 mission in 1962 and became the first American to orbit the Earth. Johnson later calculated the complex 1969 Apollo 11 trajectory to the moon. In her later NASA career, Johnson worked on the Space Shuttle program and the Earth Resources Satellite and encouraged students to pursue careers in science and technology fields.

Former NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson is seen after President Barack Obama presented her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2015, during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

In 2015, Dr. Johnson received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama. She will also be the inaugural recipient of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific’s Arthur B.C. Walker II Award, on October 22, 2017, during the ASP’s Annual Award Gala in Burlingame, California.