NASA Johnson Space Center to dedicate building to Dorothy Vaughan, women of Apollo

July 15 (UPI) -- NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston plans to name a building after legendary human computer Dorothy Vaughan and women involved in the Apollo program on Friday, one day before the 55th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing.

NASA's central data office, known as Building 12, will be renamed as the "Dorothy Vaughan Center in Honor of the Women of Apollo" as a "tribute to the people who made humanity's first steps on the Moon possible," according to a news release Monday.

Vaughn died on Nov. 10, 2008, at the age of 98.

"On behalf of NASA's Johnson Space Center, we are proud to host this historic event as the agency honors the significant contributions women have made to the space industry, particularly trailblazers who persevered against many challenges of their era," NASA Johnson Director Vanessa said. "As we prepare to return to the moon for long-term science and exploration, NASA's Artemis missions will land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon. It's a privilege to dedicate Johnson's Building 12 to the innovative women who laid the foundation to our nation's space program."

Vaughan came to the Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory in 1943, leaving her position as a math teacher at Robert Russa Moton High School in Farmville, Va.

Vaughan became an expert FORTRAN programmer, and also contributed to the Scout Launch Vehicle Program. She retired in 1971.

Vaughan was among the women featured in Margot Lee Shetterly's Hidden Figures: The Story of the African-American Women Who Helped Win the Space Race in 2016. It was adapted as a biographical film of the same name, and also released in 2016.

Vaughan "was a steadfast advocate for the women who worked as human computers, and for all the individuals under her leadership," the release said.