{"id":320643,"date":"2023-02-15T17:16:00","date_gmt":"2023-02-15T22:16:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/?post_type=migration&p=320643"},"modified":"2023-09-27T19:53:36","modified_gmt":"2023-09-27T23:53:36","slug":"moon-mountain-name-honors-nasa-mathematician-melba-mouton","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/people-of-nasa\/moon-mountain-name-honors-nasa-mathematician-melba-mouton\/","title":{"rendered":"Moon Mountain Name Honors NASA Mathematician Melba Mouton"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-cover \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/mons_mouton.png\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"985\" height=\"536\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/mons_mouton.png?w=985\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"An illustration of Mons Mouton, a mesa-like lunar mountain that towers above the landscape carved by craters near the Moon\u2019s South Pole.\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 40% 76%; object-position: 40% 76%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/mons_mouton.png 985w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/mons_mouton.png?resize=300,163 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/mons_mouton.png?resize=768,418 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/mons_mouton.png?resize=400,218 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/mons_mouton.png?resize=600,326 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/mons_mouton.png?resize=900,490 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 985px) 100vw, 985px\" loading=\"eager\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">An illustration of Mons Mouton, a mesa-like lunar mountain that towers above the landscape carved by craters near the Moon\u2019s South Pole.<\/div><div class=\"hds-credits\">NASA\/Science Visualization Studio<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Scientists recently named a mesa-like lunar mountain that towers above the landscape carved by craters near the Moon\u2019s South Pole. This unique feature will now be referred to as \u201cMons Mouton,\u201d after NASA mathematician and computer programmer Melba Roy Mouton (MOO-tawn).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Members of NASA\u2019s Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/viper\">VIPER<\/a>) mission proposed the name to the International Astronomical Union (IAU). The flat-topped mountain is adjacent to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/press-release\/nasa-s-artemis-rover-to-land-near-nobile-region-of-moon-s-south-pole\/\">western rim of the Nobile Crater<\/a>, on which VIPER will land and explore during its approximately 100-day mission as part of NASA\u2019s Artemis program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The IAU theme for naming mountains (mons) on the Moon focuses on \u201cscientists who have made outstanding or fundamental contributions to their fields.\u201d The lunar landmark naming honors and recognizes Mouton\u2019s life, her accomplishments as a computer scientist, and her contributions to NASA\u2019s missions. <\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-none \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/mouton_2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"320\" height=\"312\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/mouton_2.png?w=320\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"Melba Mouton, a mathematician and computer programmer in NASA\u2019s Trajectory and Geodynamics Division at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.n\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/mouton_2.png 320w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/mouton_2.png?resize=300,293 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/mouton_2.png?resize=50,50 50w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">Melba Mouton, a mathematician and computer programmer in NASA\u2019s Trajectory and Geodynamics Division at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.<\/div><div class=\"hds-credits\">NASA<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>\u201cMelba Mouton was one of our pioneering leaders at NASA,\u201d said Sandra Connelly, the acting associate administrator for science at NASA Headquarters in Washington. \u201cShe not only helped NASA take the lead in exploring the unknown in air and space, but she also charted a path for other women and people of color to pursue careers and lead cutting-edge science at NASA.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mouton was first employed at NASA\u2019s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, in 1959, just a year after the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/specials\/60counting\/logos.html\">space agency<\/a> was established. She became the head mathematician who led a group of \u201chuman computers,\u201d who tracked the Echo 1 and 2 satellites, launched into Earth\u2019s orbit in 1960 and 1964, respectively. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A few years later, in 1961, Mouton was the head programmer responsible for the Mission and Trajectory Analysis Division\u2019s Program Systems Branch \u2013 the team who coded computer programs used to calculate spacecraft locations and trajectories, giving NASA the ability to track spacecraft while in orbit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Before retiring in 1973, after a career at NASA that spanned 14 years, Mouton had become the assistant chief of research programs for the Trajectory and Geodynamics Division at Goddard. In appreciation of her dedicated service and outstanding accomplishments, which culminated in the successful Apollo 11 Moon landing on July 20, 1969, she was recognized with an Apollo Achievement Award. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As NASA prepares to send astronauts to the lunar surface, including the first woman to set foot on the Moon, Mons Mouton is among one of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/press-release\/nasa-identifies-candidate-regions-for-landing-next-americans-on-moon\">13 candidate landing regions<\/a> for Artemis III.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The wide, relatively flat-topped mountain, about the size of the state of Delaware, was created over billions of years by lunar impacts, which sculpted it out of its surroundings. As a result, Mons Mouton stands as tall as Denali \u2013 the tallest mountain in North America \u2013 approximately 20,000 feet higher than its neighboring features on the Moon\u2019s South Pole. Because it is relatively untouched by bombardments, scientists believe Mons Mouton is much more ancient \u2013 possibly billions of years older than its surroundings. A ring of huge craters \u2013 evidence of its pulverizing past \u2013 lie around its base; some with cliff-like edges, descending into areas of permanent darkness. Its rolling hilltop is peppered with smaller rocks and pebbles as well as lots of enticing craters that are frequently blanketed in freezing, shifting shadows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMons Mouton represents a great spot for VIPER \u2013 our solar-powered Moon rover that we\u2019ll drive and conduct science in near real-time,\u201d said Dr. Sarah Noble, VIPER program scientist at NASA Headquarters in Washington. \u201cIt features high sunny spots, it\u2019s relatively flat, satellite data shows signs of water ice, and it allows long stretches of direct communications with our ground station on Earth.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>VIPER will be the first resource mapping mission beyond Earth. It will search at and below the lunar surface to determine the location and concentration of any ice could eventually be harvested to sustain human exploration on the Moon, Mars, and beyond and will help advance scientific exploration of the Moon by helping to understand how water is created and deposited throughout the solar system. VIPER is planned for delivery to the Moon in late 2024 under NASA\u2019s Commercial Lunar Payload Services\u202f(CLPS)\u202finitiative. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Moon Mountain Name Honors NASA Mathematician Melba Mouton\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/AzywfRuT7-U?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Learn more about Mons Mouton, the Moon Mountain named in honor of NASA mathematician Melba Mouton.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>For news media<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Members of the news media interested in covering this topic should reach out to the <a href=\"mailto:arc-dl-newsroom@mail.nasa.gov\">NASA Ames newsroom<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Scientists recently named a mesa-like lunar mountain that towers above the landscape carved by craters near the Moon\u2019s South Pole. This unique feature will now be referred to as \u201cMons Mouton,\u201d after NASA mathematician and computer programmer Melba Roy Mouton<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":261,"featured_media":218436,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nasa_hds_core_meta_l10n":"en-US","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_editor":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_contacts":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_topic":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_linked_locations":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_related_articles":[],"hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_id":"","hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_type":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_x":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_y":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_gallery_images":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[2681,11944,10574,2885,3760,2668,10751,2884,11941],"news-tags":[],"internal-terms":[],"coauthors":[],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Moon Mountain Name Honors NASA Mathematician Melba Mouton","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/people-of-nasa\/moon-mountain-name-honors-nasa-mathematician-melba-mouton\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/people-of-nasa\/moon-mountain-name-honors-nasa-mathematician-melba-mouton\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/9467783474_7a574ec7bb_o.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/9467783474_7a574ec7bb_o.jpg"},"articleSection":"Missions","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Rachel Hoover"}],"creator":["Rachel Hoover"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"NASA","logo":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/themes\/nasa\/assets\/images\/nasa-logo.svg"},"keywords":["People of NASA","Diversity at NASA","Women's History Month","Artemis","Black History Month","Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS)","Earth's Moon","VIPER (Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover)","Women at NASA"],"dateCreated":"2023-02-15T22:16:00Z","datePublished":"2023-02-15T22:16:00Z","dateModified":"2023-09-27T23:53:36Z"},"rendered":"<meta name=\"parsely-title\" content=\"Moon Mountain Name Honors NASA Mathematician Melba Mouton\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-link\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/people-of-nasa\/moon-mountain-name-honors-nasa-mathematician-melba-mouton\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-type\" content=\"post\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-image-url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/9467783474_7a574ec7bb_o.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-pub-date\" content=\"2023-02-15T22:16:00Z\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-section\" content=\"Missions\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-tags\" content=\"People of NASA,Diversity at NASA,Women's History Month,Artemis,Black History Month,Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS),Earth's Moon,VIPER (Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover),Women at NASA\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-author\" content=\"Rachel Hoover\" \/>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/nasa.gov\/p.js"},"read_time":4,"time_ago":"1 year","featured_image":{"id":218436,"file":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/9467783474_7a574ec7bb_o.jpg","title":"Melba Roy Mouton \u2013 Mathematician","alt":"Melba Roy standing next to machine with cards","caption":"Melba Roy Mouton (1929-1990) was a mathematician and computer programmer in NASA\u2019s Trajectory and Geodynamics Division."},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/320643"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/261"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=320643"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/320643\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":354442,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/320643\/revisions\/354442"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/218436"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=320643"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=320643"},{"taxonomy":"news-tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-tags?post=320643"},{"taxonomy":"internal-terms","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/internal-terms?post=320643"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=320643"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}