NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston will recognize legendary human computer Dorothy Vaughan and the women of Apollo with activities marking their achievements, including a renaming and ribbon-cutting ceremony at the center's "Building 12," on Friday, July 19, the eve of the 55th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing.
At 9 a.m. CDT, NASA Johnson Director Vanessa Wyche will begin with a discussion about the importance of Vaughan and the women of Apollo's contributions to the agency's lunar landing program and their significance to today's Artemis campaign. Other highlights include a poetry reading, a recital by Texas Southern University's Dr. Thomas F. Freeman Debate Team, and a "Women in Human Spaceflight" panel discussion.
The panel in NASA Johnson's Teague Auditorium will be moderated by Debbie Korth, the agency's Orion Program deputy manager, and include:
- Christina Koch, NASA astronaut
- Sandy Johnson, Barrios Technology CEO
- Lara Kearney, NASA Extravehicular Activity and Human Surface Mobility Program manager
- Andrea Mosie, NASA Lunar Materials Repository Laboratory manager and senior sample processor
- Dr. Shirley Price, former NASA Equal Opportunity specialist
Following the program, the ribbon-cutting ceremony will begin at Building 12, which will thereafter be named the "Dorothy Vaughan Center in Honor of the Women of Apollo." The dedication is a tribute to the people who made humanity's first steps on the Moon possible.
