Barbara Askins was named the National Inventor of the Year by the Association for Advancement of Inventions and Innovations. This was a major recognition of her pioneering work in enhancing underexposed photographic negatives, especially given its importance to NASA and the medical industry. She was the first individual woman to receive this honor.

Barbara Askins joined NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center. This marked a significant turn in her career, leading to her groundbreaking invention for enhancing underexposed photographic negatives.