Jack Black is not only one of Hollywood's most recognizable figures, but his mother also had a notable reputation of her own.

Judith Love Cohen, Jack's mother, truly was a jack of all trades. Not only was she an aerospace engineer, but she was also a former ballet dancer.

There has been a tale circulating on the internet about Cohen's contributions to NASA, and it turns out this story is entirely true.

Indeed, Judith played a crucial role in a very significant mission. 

Judith Love Cohen with Jack Black People

She was part of the NASA team that developed the Abort-Guidance System, which was critical in bringing the Apollo 13 astronauts safely back to Earth.

This mission is famously known. It was the seventh manned mission in the Apollo space program and was intended to be the third to land on the moon.

However, things did not go as planned. Shortly after its 1970 launch, a disaster occurred. 

An explosion severely damaged the spacecraft’s oxygen tanks, which in turn crippled the operating systems and left the crew adrift in space.

Thankfully, the team on the ground, with significant contributions from Judith, managed to bring them back safely.

Judith's involvement gained widespread attention on Reddit. 

One user shared her incredible story: 

Judith and Neil Siegel USC Viterbi School of Engineering

“Judith Love Cohen was an American aerospace engineer who helped create the Abort-Guidance System that rescued Apollo 13 astronauts. 

“When she went into labor, she took her work to the hospital, printed out the problem, called her boss, and said she finished it before giving birth to Jack Black.”

Judith’s son, Neil Siegel, who is also Jack Black’s half-brother, verified this remarkable tale in a 2016 obituary.

Discussing his mother's impressive career, Siegel wrote: 

“Her engineering career included roles on the teams that created the guidance computer for the Minuteman missile, the Abort-Guidance System in the Lunar Excursion Module for the Apollo space program, the ground system for the Tracking Data, and Relay System Satellite (recently retired after nearly 40 years of operations on orbit!) among others.”

He also recounted the extraordinary day involving Apollo 13 and Jack's birth:

“She actually went to her office on the day that Jack was born,” he noted. 

Judith Love Cohen helped create the Abort-Guidance System Reddit / @senorphone1

“When it was time to go to the hospital, she took with her a computer printout of the problem she was working on. 

“Later that day, she called her boss and told him that she had solved the problem. And... oh, yes, the baby was born, too.”

This story has left many people in awe. One person commented, “F**k, that is interesting.” 

Another responded, “Totally awesome. Not just interesting.”

A third person remarked, “I don’t even know which part of that sentence is the biggest flex.”

Judith Cohen passed away in 2016 at the age of 82. On Mother's Day last year, Jack Black honored her with a touching Instagram post. 

He posted a photo of Judith diligently working in a lab and captioned it: “It’s true... my mom was a bad-ass aerospace engineer... and also a loving mother... I miss you mama!”