Barbara Paulson
Barbara Paulson | |
|---|---|
(left to right) Paulson, Vickie Wang and Helen Ling, working at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, socializing over lunch (1980) | |
| Born | Barbara Jean Lewis April 11, 1928 Columbus, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | February 26, 2023 (aged 94) Des Moines, Iowa, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | JPL Human Computer, Engineer |
| Employer | Jet Propulsion Laboratory |
| Notable work | Trajectory calculations for Explorer 1, Vikings 1 & 2, Voyagers 1 & 2, Mariner Probes |
| Spouse | Harry Murray Paulson (1959-2003) |
| Children | Karen Bishop, Kathleen Knutson |
Barbara Jean Paulson (née Lewis; April 11, 1928 – February 26, 2023) was an American human computer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and one of the first female scientists employed there. Paulson began working as a mathematician at JPL in 1948, where she calculated rocket trajectories by hand. She is among the women who made early progress at JPL.