Congressional Gold Medals Awarded to NASA Pioneers

Congress awarded Congressional Gold Medals to four pioneering Black women mathematicians and engineers—Katherine Johnson, Christine Darden, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson—recognizing their critical contributions to NASA during the space race. The medals were presented in Washington, D.C., with family members accepting on behalf of the late Johnson, who calculated key trajectories for missions, including Alan Shepard's in 1961. This honor, long overdue due to delays from the pandemic, acknowledges the women's profound impact on aerospace and American history. House Speaker Mike Johnson emphasized that these women laid the foundation for space exploration, often overshadowed by their male counterparts. The ceremony highlighted their stories, inspired by the book and film 'Hidden Figures,' and underscored their role as trailblazers in a historically male-dominated field. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson noted that their work enabled historic missions, including the moon landing in 1969.