Frances Northcutt

High school (ages 12+)
People & Society

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/frances-northcutt

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. When was Frances Northcutt born?1940
2. Where was Frances Northcutt born?Cleveland, Ohio, USA
3. What is the education?Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the University of Pittsburgh
4. Who was Frances Northcutt?Frances Northcutt was a mathematician and computer engineer who worked for NASA during the Space Race.
5. How did she help the Apollo missions?She created and checked the math and computer programs that guided the rockets to the Moon and back, making sure they followed the right paths.

Orbital Mechanics: The study of the motion of objects in orbit around celestial bodies, governed by principles of physics and mathematics.
Trajectory Calculation: The process of determining the path an object, like a spacecraft, will follow through space.
Earth Observation: The gathering of information about Earth's physical, chemical, and biological systems using remote sensing technology, often from satellites.