Katherine Johnson building opens at NASA Langley Research Center
HAMPTON, Va. — The Katherine G. Johnson Computational Research Facility at NASA Langley Research Center’s in Hampton officially opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday. The building will “support innovative research and development across the agency’s missions,” according to NASA.
Johnson was the NASA mathematician who calculated the trajectory for America’s first trip to space with Alan Shepherd’s 1961 mission. She also confirmed, by hand, the launch calculations for John Glenn, the first American astronaut to circle the globe in 1962.
“It was a piece of cake,” Johnson joked about her legendary math skills during her time at NASA in Hampton.
Johnson, who was the central character in the book and movie “Hidden Figures,” won the 2015 National Medal of Freedom.
http://wtvr.com/2017/09/22/katherine-johnson-computational-research-facility/
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And I got pics of my hubs with Katherine and a few of her family members! She celebrated her 99th birthday a few weeks ago and is just as beautiful in person as in Annie Leibovitz's portrait of her.
My hubs has worked for NASA Langley for 38 years and had seen Katherine on "the field" as the huge facility is called. We have a mutual friend, astronaut Leland Melvin.
Here's Mrs. Johnson and Leland...
Katherine got a standing ovation today, as she should have. And Terry McAuliffe, our Gov., gave a fan.frickin.tastic speech! He also got a rousing applause from the big room.
Margot Shetterly, the author of Hidden Figures and a Hampton native, also gave a wonderful speech.
It was such an enjoyable day! I was so happy to be there. And there was cake! 
What an honor for an exceptional woman! 
The Annie Leibovitz portrait is absolutely perfect... it almost looks like an oil painting.
And Leland Melvin, well, who can forget this:
U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe, Hampton Mayor Donnie Tuck, and "Hidden Figures" author Margot Lee Shetterly were among the dignitaries who were on hand to honor Johnson.
Governor McAuliffe said, "Thank goodness for the movie and the book that actually came out and people got to understand what this woman meant to our county. I mean she really broke down the barriers."
The Katherine G. Johnson Computational Research Facility (CRF) is a $23 million, 37,000-square-foot energy efficient structure that consolidates five Langley data centers and more than 30 server rooms.
One NASA astronaut, Doctor Yvonne Cagle said Katherine is the reason she is an astronaut today.
http://www.11alive.com/mobile/article/news/nasa-legend-katherine-johnson-honored-in-hampton/477893024?scroll=0
I attended the ceremony today for two reasons. One, that I wanted to see Katherine in person and two, I wanted to make pictures for my friend's daughter who wrote the following on FB some months ago:
"We just saw this excellent movie and we took our girls who are dreamers and thinkers so they would be encouraged. I also took another little girl...a little girl who dreamed of being an astronaut when she was in second grade. A little girl who grew up just a couple miles from NASA and Langley. A little girl who proudly stood in front of class on "career day" and proclaimed her intention to go into space...but hung her embarrassed and shy head and returned to her seat when her teacher told her, "There aren't any girls like you there, but maybe you could be a secretary or something". A little girl who believed that teacher and let that dream fade into just an avid interest in the world of astronomy. I took that little girl and told her, finally, that teacher was WRONG. That little girl inside me finally smiled and I know I'll see her every time I look at the night sky. There was a place for her, just as these ladies and many after proved. And one of the best parts was learning one of their names is Katherine. It isn't spelled the same but the feeling of pride was just the same. Now go, see this movie, and encourage a little girl to be ANYTHING she DAMN. WELL. PLEASES. 🚀"
"Any girls like YOU!!!" Katie, whom I've known since she was in elementary school, is now in her early 40's. She's a beautiful AA woman who has two lovely little girls of her own.
DAMN it, misogynistic racists kill me! I cried when I read her fb post. I did not know at the time that a teacher had treated her like that. Her mom still feels guilty for not standing up to that horrible, soul-crushing teacher.
I made a small poster today saying "For Katie _____" and one of Katherine Johnson's family members held it beside her when I made the pictures. I'm going to send the pics to Katie and to her mom. Wish I had gotten there early enough to have purchased the book for Katie. Ms. Shetterly, the author, was autographing them, but, darn it, they ran out of books!
Darn onions.
Last edited Sat Sep 23, 2017, 06:10 PM - Edit history (1)
Glad you were also moved by Katie's post.
Astronaut Dr. Yvonne Cagle is with Johnson as she receives a standing ovation from the crowd at the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
And here, Katherine is outside the new building named in her honor.
