[ The World Times ] Katherine Johnson

In 2016, a film titled Hidden Figures, based on a true story of three African-American women who worked at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA ) as mathematicians, drove Katherine Johnson (1918-2020), the only surviving one at the time, into the limelight. Johnson, who made a remarkable contribution to NASA and the U.S. space program, passed away in February at the age of 101.

 

Johnson, who was outstanding since her early years, graduated from high school at age 14 before she enrolled at West Virginia State University. Johnson, a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, graduated summa cum laude at age 18 with degrees in mathematics and French.

 

In 1953, Johnson joined the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, the predecessor of NASA, which was hiring African-American mathematicians to assist engineers. 

 

Johnson's otherworldly numeracy, a gift for geometry in particular, was met with NASA's works including calculating trajectories and emergency return paths for Project Mercury spaceflights, and rendezvous paths for the Apollo Lunar Module and command on flights to the moon. Her calculations were also fundamental to the early stage of the Space Shuttle program, and she worked on plans for a mission to Mars. 

 

Johnson dismantled racial and gender barriers, knowing what she deserved and where she belonged, and insisted that women be included in editorial meetings, where women were not allowed before. She also used whites-only restrooms. 

 

In 2015, Johnson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Obama and the Silver Snoopy Award by NASA astronaut Leland D. Melvin in 2016, a special honor awarded to NASA employees and contractors for outstanding achievement related to human flight safety or mission success. 

 

*aero a.항공(기)의, 항공학(술)의

*aeronautic(=aeronautical) a.항공학의, 항공술의, 비행술의

*aeronautics n.항공술, 항공학

*limelight n.각광, 세상의이목(관심).

*spotlight n.스포트라이트, 환한조명 / 세간의 주목(관심)

                v. 스포트라이트를 비추다. / 세간의 주목을 집중시키다, 집중 조명하다. 

*enroll v. 입학하다, 입대하다, 입학(입대)절차를 밟다, 등록하다, (이름을) 명부에 올리다. 

*라틴어의 성적 구분

- summa cum laude (최우등)

- magna cum laude (우수)

- cum laude (우등)

- bene (좋음/잘했음)

*advisory a.자문의, 고문의

*predecessor n. 전임자, 전임 / 이전의 것(모델)

*otherworld n. 내세, 사후세계, 저세상, 저승 / 공상(이상)의 세계, 별세계. 딴세상

*otherworldly a. 내세의, 비현실적인, 딴세상의

*numeracy n. 산술능력, 수리력

*numeral(= number) n. 숫자 / Arabic numeral 아라비아 숫자, Roman numeral 로마 숫자. 

*geometry n.기하학

*trajectory n.탄도, 궤적, 궤도.

*rendezvous n. 만날 약속, 만남 / (누구와) 만나기로 한 장소 / 랑데뷰

                     v. (미리 약속 시간과 장소를 정해서) 만나다. 

*command n. 명령, 지휘, 통솔

                  v. 명령하다, 지시하다 / 지휘하다

*commend v. 칭찬하다 / 추천하다, 권하다 / 인정을 받다. 

*fundamental a. 근본적인(=basic), 본질적인 / 핵심적인, 필수적인(=essential) 

                      n. 기본원칙(법칙), 핵심. 

*fundament n. 기초, 원리, 기본, 토대.

*dismantle v. (조직, 체제를) 해체하다 / (기구, 구조물을) 해체하다, 분해하다. 

*racial a. 인종(민족)간의 / 인종(민족)의

*racism n.인종차별(주의) / *racist n.인종차별주의자

*astronaut n.우주비행사