All of the astronauts picked by NASA to participate in its maiden manned space programs, Mercury and Gemini, were white males. However, behind the scenes, there was a dedicated team of African-American, female mathematicians who played a pivotal role in ensuring that they launched and returned safely, whether from orbiting the Earth or a mission to the moon.
NASA Docudrama Belatedly Credits Contributions of Unsung African-American Mathematicians
Hidden Figures Film Review by Kam Williams