Human Computers at NASA

Before digital computers ran the numbers that sent astronauts into space, NASA had a different kind of computer—women armed with pencils, paper, and sheer brilliance. In the high-stakes world of the 1960s Space Race, these human computers calculated rocket trajectories, re-entry angles, and life-or-death mission parameters, all while facing discrimination, relentless pressure, and paychecks that barely covered the cost of living.

John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth, famously refused to launch until Katherine Johnson double-checked the machine’s math—because he trusted her more than NASA’s early computers. But for all their groundbreaking work, these women were paid a fraction of their male counterparts, treated as disposable, and ultimately replaced by the very technology they helped pioneer.

How bad was it? What did they actually do? And why did history nearly forget them?

Join History’s Worst Paychecks as we dive into one of NASA’s most underappreciated jobs—where genius met inequality, and the future of spaceflight rested in the hands of those who never got the glory.

🎧 Listen now and don’t forget to leave us a 5-star review! If you love hidden history, check out other Pastcast Studios podcasts like Heistories (the world’s greatest heists), History Fight Club (legendary warriors facing off), and Hearthside History (fascinating tales you didn’t learn in school).