As an engineer, Judith worked on the guidance computer for the Minuteman missile, the ground system for the Tracking Data the Relay System Satellite, and the Abort Guidance System in the Lunar Excursion Module for the Apollo space program.

And yes, that Abort Guidance System did help save the day when Apollo 13 suffered a disastrous systems failure mid-mission, endangering the lives of the three astronauts on board.

“My mother usually considered her work on the Apollo program to be the highlight of her career,” Neil wrote. “Judy was there when the Apollo 13 astronauts paid a ‘thank you’ to the [TRW Inc.] facility in Redondo Beach, [Calif.]”