Annie Easley

Annie Easley was an American computer scientist and mathematician whose work at NASA involved developing software for energy-conversion systems. Her most prominent technical contribution was developing the code for the Centaur rocket technologies, which served as an upper-stage launch vehicle.

She began her career in 1955 at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), NASA's predecessor, as a human computer. She was one of only four African American employees at the lab at the time, doing complex mathematical calculations by hand before the advent of electronic computing.

Easley developed and implemented complex code that simulated the flow of energy and determined the optimal propellant mixture for the Centaur upper-stage rocket. Her software was crucial to the success of the Centaur vehicle, which helped launch numerous communication and weather satellites.

Yes, as an African American woman in the mid-20th-century scientific community, Easley faced significant racial and gender discrimination. Despite being denied tuition reimbursement that her white male colleagues received, she persevered and earned her degree in mathematics from Cleveland State University.