WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate on Tuesday passed a bill to rename a NASA facility in West Virginia in honor of a state native and former NASA employee.
Senate Bill 3389, if it becomes law, would rename Fairmont’s NASA Independent Verification and Validation Facility as the Katherine Johnson Independent Verification and Validation Facility.
Originally from White Sulphur Springs, Johnson worked for NASA calculating trajectories for space mission flights, including Alan Shepard’s Freedom 7 mission, which was the first human spaceflight by an American astronaut.
The bill was sponsored by Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and cosponsored by Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va.
Both Capito and Manchin praised the Senate, which passed the bill by a unanimous vote.
“We’re one step closer to renaming Fairmont’s NASA IV&V facility after Katherine Johnson, a brilliant mathematician and true trailblazer,” Capito said. “I’m thrilled that the Senate recognized her incredible contributions — not only to West Virginia, but also to the country and the science community — and passed this legislation with such overwhelming support.”
“I applaud my Senate colleagues for passing this legislation, which I was proud to cosponsor, to rename Fairmont’s NASA IV&V facility,” Manchin said. “Not only did Katherine Johnson broaden our nation’s perceived physical limitations with her contributions to the space program, she also broke down discriminatory barriers that stood in the way of so many other women and people of color advancing in the workplace.
“Katherine Johnson is one of West Virginia’s finest and a groundbreaking, brilliant mathematician. No individual is more worthy of this honor than her. Through her brilliance, strength and courage, she proved to the country that anyone — regardless of race, gender or background — can touch the stars,” Manchin added.
The bill will move to the House of Representatives for a vote. If it passes in that chamber without amendment, it will move to the president’s desk for signature into law.