- Chapters
- descriptions off, selected
- captions settings, opens captions settings dialog
- captions off, selected
This is a modal window.
Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.
End of dialog window.
This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button.
This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button.
NASA’s ‘Hidden Figures’ receive Congressional Gold Medals
By Karah Rucker (Anchor/Reporter), Mirlie Larose (Producer), Mathew Grisham (Digital Producer), Jack Henry (Video Editor)
Some “Hidden Figures” were recently honored for their contributions to NASA. The group of Black women who played a pivotal role in the early successes of the U.S. space program were honored with the Congressional Gold Medal on Capitol Hill the week of Sept. 15.
Media Landscape
This story is a Media Miss by the right as only 0% of the coverage is from right leaning media. Learn moreBias Distribution
Left
Right
Right
Untracked Bias
House Speaker Mike Johnson led the ceremony, praising the women for stepping into fields and said, “At a time when our nation was divided by color and often by gender, these women dared to step into fields where they had previously been unwelcomed.”

Download the SAN app today to stay up-to-date with Unbiased. Straight Facts™.
Point phone camera here
Johnson called their contributions the very foundation of NASA’s success in launching rockets and sending astronauts to the moon. These mathematicians and engineers played key roles in the early American space flights, calculating rocket trajectories and orbits.
Three of the women, Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson, were honored posthumously. The fourth woman honored, Christine Darden, was honored for her work as an aeronautical engineer. Darden is best known for her sonic boom research.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson highlighted the challenges these women faced, saying their accomplishments are even more remarkable given the barriers of racism and sexism. Also speaking was Margot Lee Shetterly, author of the book “Hidden Figures,” which helped shine a light on their story.
An additional medal symbolically presented to honor all those contributions to NASA that went unrecognized.
Karah Rucker
THE HIDDEN FIGURES OF NASA IS RECEIVING RECOGNITION.
THE GROUP OF BLACK WOMEN WHO PLAYED A PIVOTAL ROLE IN THE EARLY SUCCESSES OF THE U-S SPACE PROGRAM.
ON CAPITOL HILL THIS WEEK – THESE WOMEN WERE HONORED WITH THE CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.
HOUSE SPEAKER MIKE JOHNSON LED THE CEREMONY – PRAISING THESE WOMEN FOR STEPPING INTO FIELDS WHERE THEY WEREN’T WELCOME – AT A TIME WHEN AMERICA WAS DEEPLY DIVIDED BY RACE AND GENDER.
JOHNSON CALLED THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS THE VERY FOUNDATION OF NASA’S SUCCESS IN LAUNCHING ROCKETS AND SENDING ASTRONAUTS TO THE MOON.
THESE MATHEMATICIANS AND ENGINEERS, PLAYED KEY ROLES IN THE EARLY AMERICAN SPACE FLIGHTS, CALCULATING ROCKET TRAJECTORIES AND ORBITS.
THREE OF THE WOMEN — KATHERINE JOHNSON, DOROTHY VAUGHAN AND MARY JACKSON — WERE HONORED POSTHUMOUSLY. THE FOURTH WOMAN, CHRISTINE DARDEN, BEST KNOWN FOR HER SONIC BOOM RESEARCH, WAS HONORED FOR HER WORK AS AN AERONAUTICAL ENGINEER.
NASA’S ADMINISTRATOR BILL NELSON ALSO HIGHLIGHTED THE CHALLENGES THESE WOMEN FACED, SAYING THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE EVEN MORE REMARKABLE GIVEN THE BARRIERS OF RACISM AND SEXISM.
ALSO SPEAKING, MARGOT LEE SHETTERLY, AUTHOR OF THE BOOK, HIDDEN FIGURES, WHICH HELPED SHINE A LIGHT ON THEIR STORY.
AN ADDITIONAL MEDAL WAS SYMBOLICALLY PRESENTED TO HONOR ALL THOSE CONTRIBUTIONS TO NASA THAT WENT UNRECOGNIZED.
I’M KARAH R.
AND FOR MORE OF OUR UNBIASED — STRAIGHT FACTS REPORTING — DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP OR VISIT US AT SAN – DOT – COM.
Media Landscape
This story is a Media Miss by the right as only 0% of the coverage is from right leaning media. Learn moreBias Distribution
Left
Right
Right
Untracked Bias
Straight to your inbox.
By entering your email, you agree to the Terms & Conditions and acknowledge the Privacy Policy.
MOST POPULAR
-
Getty Images
Schumer, Democrats suggest Canada plane crash is Trump’s fault
Watch 2:025 hrs ago -
Getty Images
NASA increases chance ‘city-killing’ asteroid will hit Earth in 2032
Watch 1:477 hrs ago -
Dvids
US Air Force’s ‘Franken-bird’ takes flight
Watch 2:059 hrs ago -
Getty Images
Social Security Admin. commissioner steps down over DOGE request: Reports
Watch 1:5610 hrs ago