Katherine Johnson — Questions and answers

Read the full story

What was launched into space on February 20, 1962?

Choices

  1. A Redstone rocket carrying astronaut John Glenn ✓
  2. A new satellite for Project Mercury
  3. An experimental airplane from Cape Canaveral
  4. A hot air balloon with scientists

Answer: A Redstone rocket carrying astronaut John Glenn

From page 1

What kind of calculations did Katherine Johnson and her colleagues perform for space missions?

Choices

  1. Orbital mechanics, re-entry paths, and launch windows ✓
  2. How much food the astronauts needed for their journey
  3. The best colors to paint the rockets
  4. The number of stars in the galaxy

Answer: Orbital mechanics, re-entry paths, and launch windows

From page 3

What branch of mathematics did Katherine Johnson use to figure out the path of a spacecraft?

Choices

  1. Analytical geometry ✓
  2. Arithmetic
  3. Algebra
  4. Statistics

Answer: Analytical geometry

From page 4

What did astronaut John Glenn famously say about Katherine Johnson's calculations before his mission?

Choices

  1. "If she says they're good, then I'm ready to go." ✓
  2. "I need to check these numbers myself."
  3. "The computers are always right."
  4. "Her work is important, but not essential."

Answer: "If she says they're good, then I'm ready to go."

From page 5

What important 'problem' did Katherine Johnson help solve for the Apollo 11 mission to the Moon?

Choices

  1. How to align the lunar module with the orbiting command module ✓
  2. How to make the rocket go faster
  3. How to find new stars on the Moon
  4. How to communicate with aliens

Answer: How to align the lunar module with the orbiting command module

From page 6

Why were Katherine Johnson's manual calculations so important even after electronic computers were introduced?

Choices

  1. Early electronic computers were prone to errors or 'glitches.' ✓
  2. She didn't like using the new computers.
  3. Her calculations were much faster than the computers'.
  4. Astronauts only trusted handwritten numbers.

Answer: Early electronic computers were prone to errors or 'glitches.'

From page 7

What did Katherine Johnson's precise calculations ensure for astronauts?

Choices

  1. Their safe return to Earth from space ✓
  2. That they had enough food in space
  3. That their spacesuits were comfortable
  4. The discovery of new planets

Answer: Their safe return to Earth from space

From page 8

What barriers did Katherine Johnson break during her career, as mentioned in the text?

Choices

  1. Barriers of race and gender ✓
  2. Barriers of language and communication
  3. Barriers of age and experience
  4. Barriers of distance and time

Answer: Barriers of race and gender

From page 9

What does Katherine Johnson's story inspire generations to do?

Choices

  1. To pursue curiosity, challenge norms, and solve complex puzzles ✓
  2. To only trust electronic computers for calculations
  3. To avoid difficult math problems and challenges
  4. To become astronauts without much studying

Answer: To pursue curiosity, challenge norms, and solve complex puzzles

From page 10