Josephine Jue is the very First Asian American Woman to work for NASA and was a Pioneer as one of the First Chinese in history to contribute to landing a Man on the Moon.

The Mid-Autumn Moon festival being today, Chinese people have dreamed of and celebrated the moon for over 3000 years. Josephine Jue is one of the First Chinese and First Women to help our species get there. Born in Mississippi in 1946, she would join NASA in 1963 to become just one of just 8 women there and the sole Asian American woman.

Working for NASA for 34 years, she as mentioned before, would work on the Apollo 11 Moon landing, would work on the compiler for the Space Shuttle Program and was Chief of NASA's Software Engineering Laboratory (SEL) in 1975. She is best known for development, implementation and maintenance of the HAL/S system during the Space Shuttle program.

She is a another overlooked "Hidden Figure." And as important as the film "Hidden Figures" was to the Black community and its understandable focus on the historic accomplishments of only the brilliant Black NASA women --- We feel it is equally important to highlight the essential contributions of Asian American NASA pioneers like Josephine Jue who used her University of Houston Mathematics degree to historic effect.

Please visit the website of the Mississippi Delta Heritage Museum at this link here where in 2023 Jana Meisenholder did this rare interview with Josephine Jue: ( https://chineseheritagemuseum.org/another-hidden-figure/ )

Please share this link by email with your friends and family on this day so they can know of the Chinese American Hidden Figure helped send Humankind into space and onto the surface of the moon.

For readers at this facebook page, here is the incredible interview:

Interviewer: When you were in college, did you take machine learning courses because you already knew you wanted to pursue a career at Johnson Space Center? Could you explain how you landed your first job there?

Josephine Jue: In 1963, I was hired by NASA as a mathematician. Over time, my job title changed to aerospace technologist and my duties required proficiency in various mathematical modules of scientific programming, as well as machine and Fortran languages for the IBM 7094 computer. At that time, input was done via key punch cards and output was stored on magnetic tape, which could then be printed on paper. As technology advanced, my career also evolved. In 1974, I was promoted to a manager position where I was responsible for developing the HAL/S compiler program. This program, which was developed and implemented in 1971, was used to verify the software design concepts and algorithms for the space shuttle, and should not be confused with the Houston Aerospace Language as portrayed in the movie.

This avionics program was created with the help of Intermetrics, Inc., a contractor located in Boston. Recognizing the emergence of machine learning, I pursued courses in the field and graduated with a degree in math. When NASA’s Manned Spacecraft Center was under construction, I applied for a job as a mathematician, and was later re-titled as an aerospace technologist. My responsibilities continued to involve knowledge of machine and FORTRAN languages for the IBM 7094 computer. However, technology had advanced and we were now using remote individual desk and handheld processes.

Interviewer: Can you share how your career progressed over time?

Josephine Jue: In 1984, I was promoted to the chief of the service center, which was responsible for acquiring, installing, and maintaining IBM PCs, including the hardware and Microsoft Word software, as well as networking and providing training. We had a help desk for troubleshooting and a computer facility where you could check out equipment for office work or learning.

In 1993, four years before retiring, I became the chief of MIS for the Space Station office, which was restricted to managing workstations for PCs. My manager at the time, William Shepherd, later became the first Space Station commander.

Throughout my entire career, I was the only Asian woman in a group of 8% professional women, which included one Hispanic woman.

Interviewer: Did your parents or upbringing spark an interest in space exploration, and did they relocate a small town in the Mississippi Delta Chinese community to Houston for this reason?

Josephine Jue: I was born in the back of my parent’s small grocery store in Vance, Mississippi many years ago, located between Marks and Dublin. At the time, there was no space exploration, and my family had moved to Third Ward in Houston for a bigger and better life when I was just three months old. Our new home was a two-story building, with a new grocery store (called Far East Grocery) on the first level and living quarters upstairs. Before I was ten years old, I worked at the cash register and learned how to count by twos, tens, and twenties. When calculating the total sale, including sales tax, math came in handy, especially when the customers only had a couple of items.

Years later, I attended the University of Houston, where I majored in math and minored in chemistry. And at the time I was graduating, I knew I didn’t want to be a teacher or secretary. These were the jobs offered to most women at the time. But luckily, I took some programming courses at the University of Houston in Fortran and MAD (machine language). Meanwhile, NASA was emerging, and the Manned Spacecraft Center was being constructed at Clear Lake, just 25 miles from downtown Houston. Various buildings offsite were used until the big move to the Johnson Space Center at Clear Lake.

Interviewer: As a first-generation Asian American woman, what were some of the biggest challenges you encountered during your first year at Johnson Space Center, especially in a male and white-dominated field, and during a time when discrimination was still legal prior to the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964?

Josephine Jue: The Civil Rights Act of 1964 aimed to establish equal opportunities regardless of race or sex, eliminate discriminatory customs and practices that barred women from certain jobs and high-level positions, and encourage women to participate in training and advancement programs. As a result, the Federal Women's Program was created to help women move out of traditional clerical and secretarial jobs.

At the time, there were only 170 women in professional positions out of 4,000 total workers at Johnson Space Center. However, as a female Asian, I never felt discriminated against and was fully accepted by management. I was asked to serve as a member of the Federal Women’s Program to support the goal of promoting women out of traditional jobs (clerical and secretarial positions). Women employees have since made significant contributions to aeronautical and space achievements in various roles.

Interviewer: Can you tell us about any particularly memorable moments or achievements from your time at Johnson Space Center?

Josephine Jue: A brochure titled “Minority Profiles” was developed, featuring minorities from all NASA centers, including myself as one of the two recognized Asian women. I was also a member of the team responsible for developing, testing, and operating the HAL/S compiler used on all Space Shuttle flights.

The next generation of women can have hope for a world that respects them for who they are. They should never doubt that they can achieve what they want. It’s important to be passionate and fearless. They should also care about other women and strive to lift each other up instead of bringing them down. Above all, they should feel confident in themselves and their abilities to conquer the world.

Interviwer: What are some of your current interests and activities, and how do you stay connected to the world of space exploration today?

Josephine Jue: My main current activity is serving on the committee to plan and develop the 70th reunion of the Chinese Baptist Church, which is scheduled for October 2023. I also have a connection to NASA where I meet and greet with some personnel to discuss current events.