Human Computers At NACA (NASA)
Staff photograph (circa 1950) of Facility 1236, the 4X4 Supersonic Pressure Tunnel at Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory (LMAL), the main research center for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA, the precursor to NASA). Many important military and space vehicle tests were conducted in the Tunnel, built by NACA in 1945. It was such an asset that it underwent modifications in 1950 for new drive motors which increased its horsepower dramatically. Before the development of electronic computers, the term "computer" referred to people, not machines. It was a job title designating someone who performed mathematical equations and calculations by hand. The majority of computing work involved three components: reading film, running calculations, and plotting data. Some of these "human computers" are shown here in the front row of this staff picture: L. Doris Barron; Amy Swann; Virginia Finch; Peggy White; Jean Pond; Evalyn Wells; Mary Korycinski; Doris Blanchard; Phyllis Henry; Mary Jackson.
Size: 2541px × 2028px
Photo credit: © Photo Researchers / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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