Born: 1943 (Many, Louisiana)
Biography:
Frances Poppy Northcutt (born August 10, 1943) is an American engineer and attorney who began her career as a computer and later became a crucial member of NASA’s Apollo program during the Space Race. She achieved a significant milestone during the Apollo 8 mission, becoming the first female engineer to work in NASA’s Mission Control. Northcutt’s career extended beyond engineering, as she later transitioned into the field of law, specializing in women’s rights. In the early 1970s, she served on the national board of directors for the National Organization for Women. Presently, she actively works and volunteers for several organizations in Houston, passionately advocating for abortion rights.
Northcutt was born in Many, Louisiana, on August 10, 1943. She spent her formative years in Luling, Texas, before settling in Dayton, Texas. Northcutt pursued her education at Dayton High School in Liberty County and later enrolled at the University of Texas to study mathematics.
After graduating in just three and a half years, Northcutt was hired by TRW, an aerospace contractor working with NASA in Houston, in 1965. Her initial role was that of a computress for the new Apollo program. However, after six months, her outstanding performance led the head of Houston operations to propose promoting her to the technical staff – the designation used for staff involved in engineering work. Northcutt became the first woman to hold such a position. The pay disparity between her previous role as a computress and her new position was substantial, leading to administrative challenges in approving her promotion. To rectify the issue, the operations manager scheduled frequent pay raises to ensure Northcutt’s salary was equitable when compared to her male colleagues. This experience with the gender pay gap profoundly impacted Northcutt, significantly shaping her future activism for women’s rights.
Assigned to the Mission Control’s Mission Planning and Analysis room, Northcutt and her team played a critical role in designing the return-to-Earth trajectory for the Apollo 8 crew’s journey from the Moon back to Earth. During this process, she identified errors in the plan, making calculations that reduced the amount of fuel necessary to maneuver around the Moon successfully. The Apollo 8 mission, which took place on December 27, 1968, marked the first time humans left Earth’s orbit and successfully reached and orbited the Moon before safely returning home. Northcutt continued working with TRW and NASA on subsequent missions, including Apollo 13. When news broke of the blown oxygen tank on the Apollo 13 mission, Northcutt and her fellow engineers who developed the computer program for the mission came together to devise a solution to ensure the astronauts’ safe return.