Judith Love Cohen, az Apollo 13 megmentője

Judith Love Cohen was a remarkable woman whose contributions to aerospace engineering left an indelible mark on history. Born on August 16, 1933, in Brooklyn, New York, Cohen’s journey from a math-loving schoolgirl to a ground-breaking engineer is truly astonishing.

Cohen became interested in math at a very young age. In fifth grade, she was already helping her classmates with their homework. Determined to pursue her love for numbers, she decided to become a math teacher. However, fate had other plans. At the age of 19, she found herself studying engineering at college while also dancing ballet with the Metropolitan Opera Ballet Company in New York.

Cohen’s engineering career began in 1952 at North American Aviation. She later joined Space Technology Laboratories, which eventually became TRW. Her work included contributions to the guidance computer for the Minuteman missile and the Abort-Guidance System (AGS) in the Apollo Lunar Module 1. It’s this AGS that played a crucial role in the Apollo 13 mission.

As an electrical engineer working in the late 1950s and early 1960s, Judith Love Cohen was often the only woman in the room. Only 0.05% of all engineers at the time were women.

In 1970, during the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission, an oxygen tank exploded, jeopardizing the lives of the astronauts. Cohen designed the AGS, which became their lifeline. When the Apollo 13 crew lost power in April 1970, the astronauts used Cohen’s AGS to navigate their way back to Earth.

Judith Love Cohen’s legacy extends beyond engineering. She married Thomas “Tom” William Black, who converted to Judaism for her. In 1969, they welcomed their son, actor and musician Jack Black. Even during labor, Cohen’s commitment to her work remained unwavering. She took her engineering schematics to the hospital, called her boss to report that she had fixed the problem, and then gave birth to Jack.

After retiring from engineering, Cohen founded a children’s multimedia publishing company, publishing over 20 titles before her passing in 2016. Her impact on space exploration and her dedication to family continue to inspire generations.