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Narrator: Melba Mouton, an award-winning mathematician,

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computer programmer, and African American

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trailblazer is being honored with the naming

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of a mountain at the Moon's South Pole.

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To recognize her contributions to the agency,

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NASA proposed the name Mons Mouton

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for the lunar landing site and exploration area

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for VIPER, its first robotic Moon rover.

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In the late 1950's, Mouton became the head

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mathematician of a team of human computers

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that tracked communication satellites

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in Earth's orbit.

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She was instrumental in coding computer programs

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that calculated spacecraft trajectories

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and locations.

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Before retiring, she was recognized with

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a NASA award for her calculations of

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complex mathematical data that contributed 

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to the successful Apollo 11 Moon landing.

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Mons Mouton is a mountain that stretches roughly

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2,700 square miles and has an elevation

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of more than 19,000 feet.

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It's about the height of Denali,

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the highest mountain peak in North America.

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The lunar landmark can be seen from Earth

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with a telescope.

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VIPER will embark on a 100 day journey

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at Mons Mouton.

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The rover will explore the Moon's surface

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to help gain a better understanding

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of the origin of lunar water as well as

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map potential resources, which will help

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inform future landing sites under

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NASA's Artemis program.

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Melba Mouton's legacy lives on at the highest peak

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in the lunar South Pole, bringing NASA

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a step closer to its goal

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for a long-term presence on the Moon.

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(Background piano music fades out)