Hidden Figures seeks to showcase the little-known story of three adept African-American women, all computers who worked for NASA's space program in the 1960s. In an age before computers did all of the calculations, these women were part of a team responsible for double checking the figures put out by engineers working at the Langley Research Center in Hampton, VA. During this period, the gals helped with work to speed up the role of the United States in the Space Race, working on the Mercury program, and other notable ventures.