The story of Annie Easley highlights the significance of human computers who carried out complex mathematical calculations in early aerospace. The case study reflects how human beings adapt to change, resilience, and contributions made by minority scientists in STEM fields.
Annie Easley was born on April 23, 1933, in Birmingham, Alabama, which had numerous racial restrictions for black women. Excelling at math, she left Alabama and settled in Cleveland, Ohio, where she saw a newspaper advertisement seeking mathematicians at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA).
After leaving a pharmacy course, she joined as a human computer and performed manual calculations for aerodynamic tests and spacecraft trajectories, providing data to engineers in designing aircraft and space technology.
Transition into Computer Programmer
During the latter part of the decade, as more electronic computers were being built, Easley learned programming in FORTRAN and SOAP. With the change of NACA to NASA in 1958, Easley continued her job at the newly named NASA Glenn Research Center, now known as Lewis. She developed software for rocket and alternative power projects using computer programming.
Key Contributions
The computer code developed by Easley was used to calculate the efficiency of the Centaur upper stage rocket powered by liquid hydrogen and oxygen which was important for satellites as well as deep space exploration missions such as the Cassini spacecraft to study Saturn. Easley contributed towards enhancing battery technology for hybrid cars as well as power generation.
Easley faced both racism and sexism. She was a vocal supporter of equality, started the Ski Club at NASA, and served as an inspiration for women and minority members in STEM fields. She received a Special Achievement Award in 1970. The legacy of Easley shows how human computers helped lay down the foundations of modern space programs.
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