NASA names moon mountain after pioneering mathematician

(CNN) - A mountain on the moon now has a name that celebrates Black History Month in a special way.

Scientists named a lunar mountain near the satellite’s South Pole Mons Mouton.

Mons was selected because that’s what mountains on the moon are called, and Mouton honors Melba Roy Mouton.

She was a mathematician and computer programmer at NASA starting back in 1959.

Mouton then became head mathematician and led a group of people employed as “human computers.” They tracked Echo 1 and two satellites, which were launched in 1960 and 1964.

Mouton is considered a pioneer both for her abilities and for blazing a trail for women of color at the space agency.

NASA is planning to land a rover on the flat-topped Mons Mouton as part of the Artemis program.

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