I have managed the Explorers Program at NASA over 17 years. The Explorers Program is the agency’s oldest initiatives focusing on scientific investigations from space.

I first learned about Mary Golda Ross after receiving a request from NASA Headquarters’ Science Mission Directorate’s public affairs lead to respond to a request from the United States Mint on her achievements in the space program. The Mint was looking for an equation that would be emblematic of the kind of work Mary Golda Ross would’ve done and/or is representative of work that may have been derived from her contributions that could be connected to her even in an indirect way. The space on the proposed coin design was limited to meet the specifications. I was elated to see the coin concept design, which helped me provide an equation which would depict her contributions to space exploration. The US Mint asked that this request be kept confidential, requiring me not to say anything to any one not even my family. This meant I would have to work on my own time at night and the weekends, being on a secret task.

While researching Ms. Ross’ history, I had to place myself in her shoes, by performing mathematic calculations to see, how I would get a rocket in space. I marveled at the calculations and work done to get a rocket outside the Earth’s atmosphere, which is a magnificent accomplishment. I had the advantage of a calculator versus a slide rule I used in the 60’s similar to what Ross used during her years at Lockheed's Advanced Development Program at the Skunk Works Division, working on preliminary design concepts for interplanetary space travel, manned and unmanned earth-orbiting flights, the earliest studies of orbiting satellites for both defense and civilian purposes. Ross worked on the Agena rocket orbital dynamics, calculating the transfer orbit as the rocket left the Earth’s atmosphere, today’s engineer would use a computer program and insert the parameter to determine, when the rocket would reach its destination. She helped develop operational requirements for the spacecraft, which later became a vital part of the Apollo program. Ross’ written work as one of the authors of NASA’s Planetary Flight Handbook, , the agency’s guide to space travel, providing preliminary concepts for flights to Mars and Venus, laying the groundwork for missions that have not yet come to fruition. This information remains protected from the public.

As I continued on my search of Mary, I realized we were very similar, which made this project that more special. Ross and I both worked in the area of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and enjoyed teaching and sharing the knowledge we had obtained with our prospective communities. She worked at Lockheed and was the only female engineer member of the elite group of the founding Advanced Development Program at the Skunk Works Division and I worked on one of the famous planes which came from that group, which was the SR-71 Blackbird. The Blackbird was the fastest plane made and it evaded enemy radar. Ross was of Cherokee descent and I have been searching to connect to my Cherokee Heritage from family stories told. She worked on designs for high flying rockets and I managed rockets in my career.

In closing, the equation on the coin is a combination of different formulas, Ross would have used to send a rocket to space. It is a formula for escape velocity, the minimum velocity an object must have in order to escape the gravitational field of the Earth—in other words, escape the Earth without ever falling back to Earth. The calculation also represents space travel for rockets and satellites to get the science for research, farmers and human daily life on Earth and in space.

There is no simple formula to be had for the complexity of going into space and reaching a planet. Several calculations are needed to reach space and the surrounding planets for which orbital dynamics plays a major part in the operation. There are just too many variables.

After long hours of calculations, I provided the following formula which was placed of the coin as a tribute to the work Mary Golda Ross accomplished in space exploration.

This is an example of a formula that Ms. Ross could have used to calculate interplanetary space travel, determine the departure plane orbit, and transfer orbit energy.

V2=V2-2μ/r

V, is the speed of an orbiting body

V, is the orbit velocity when the orbit distance tends to infinity

=GM, is the standard gravitational parameter of the primary body, with mass M

One of the greatest accomplishments of my NASA career was helping to design a $1 coin celebrating the contributions of Native American Indians to the space program.

It was an honor and privilege to be given the opportunity to work on this project. I take pride in knowing that this coin is both currency and a collector’s item, with will last after I am gone, thus leaving a legacy for my family. We should never give up on our dreams and aspirations!

It was an honor and privilege to be given the opportunity to work on this project. We should never give up on our dreams and aspirations!