Hidden Figures Bronze Medal Katherine Johnson

Katherine Johnson was an American mathematician whose calculations of orbital mechanics as a NASA employee were critical to the success of the first and subsequent American-crewed spaceflights.

The obverse (heads) depicts a portrait of Katherine Johnson in front of a variety of equations used to calculate the orbits and trajectories of spacecraft. The inscription is “KATHERINE JOHNSON.”

The reverse (tail) depicts a diagram on a chalkboard showing Apollo 11’s lunar lander linking up with the command and service module. The inscriptions are “CALCULATING THE ORBITAL FLIGHTS FOR THE APOLLO SPACE PROGRAM,” “RENDEZVOUS,” “LUNAR LIFTOFF,” “ACT OF CONGRESS 2019,” AND “EARTH.”