Jackson began her career with NASA at the segregated West Area Computing Unit of the agency's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, NASA said.

A mathematician and an aerospace engineer, Jackson led programs aimed at uplifting women within NASA.

Jackson, along with her esteemed African American colleagues Christine Darden, Katherine Johnson and Dorothy Vaughan were awarded Congressional Gold Medals.

All of the women were written about in the book "Hidden Figures," which later became an acclaimed film — starring Janelle Monáe as Jackson — detailing the contributions of the Black women to an early spaceflight.

"Hidden no more, we will continue to recognize the contributions of women, African Americans, and people of all backgrounds who have helped construct NASA's successful history to explore," Bridenstine said.