Before the digital age and the public triumphs of the Apollo missions, the trajectories of the Space Age were calculated by hand in the shadows of the Cold War. At the center of this secret world was Mary Golda Ross, a Cherokee mathematician who became the first known Native American female engineer and a founding member of the legendary Lockheed Skunk Works.From the red hills of her ancestral home in Oklahoma to the high-pressure laboratories of the California aerospace boom, this is the story of a woman who bridged two civilizations. A descendant of the legendary Cherokee Chief John Ross, Mary applied the ancient wisdom of her heritage-the philosophy of the Right Path-to the cutting-edge science of orbital mechanics and interplanetary travel.While her name remained hidden behind top-secret clearances for decades, her handiwork defined the performance of the P-38 Lightning, the versatility of the Agena rocket, and the very blueprints for reaching Mars and Venus. This comprehensive biography reveals the life of a pioneer who shattered the glass ceilings of the mid-twentieth century and spent her final years ensuring that the next generation of indigenous scientists would reach even higher. It is a profound exploration of resilience, intellectual brilliance, and the enduring power of a woman who reached for the stars while staying forever rooted in the earth. Approx.160 pages, 35000 word count