The secret weapon

Be inspired by Katherine Johnson and her friends, the women you don’t know behind the story you do

When you think about the scientists working at NASA, your first thought is probably of a man in a lab coat. So it might surprise you to learn Katherine Johnson played a pivotal role in decades of marvels – putting the first American in space, the first man on the moon and even planning the mission to Mars.

Her incredible real-life story is brought to the big screen in brand-new blockbuster Hidden Figures, which shows how Katherine broke into the new field of space travel with determination, courage and a real passion for her work. When she was told women weren’t invited into briefings, it was the respect she earned from her NASA colleagues that ultimately got her a seat in the room.

“No matter the problem, it can be solved,” she once said. “A woman can solve it – and a man can too, if you give him a lot of time.”

Al Harrison (Kevin Costner) was the Space Task Group Leader. It was an exciting time of great change. These exceptional women were the best of friends. Taraji P. Henson brings the science-genius heroine to life.