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Question: Which mathematician’s calculations were essential for John Glenn’s 1962 space mission and the Apollo Moon landing?

Answer: Answer: Katherine Johnson.

Brief Info: Katherine Johnson’s precise orbital calculations for NASA were critical to early spaceflights, including Apollo 11. She broke barriers as one of the few African American women in aerospace science.

(Source: Nasa.gov, 06 Nov 2025)

Source Link: https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/langley/katherine-johnson-biography/