Melba Roy Mouton Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Melba Roy Mouton
Melba Roy in 1960
Born	(1929-04-28)April 28, 1929 Fairfax, Virginia
Died	June 25, 1990(1990-06-25) (aged 61) Silver Spring, Maryland
Alma mater	Howard University
Awards	Apollo Achievement Award, NASA Exceptional Performance Award
Scientific career
Institutions	United States Census Bureau, Army Map Service, Goddard Space Flight Center

Melba Roy Mouton (born April 28, 1929 – died June 25, 1990) was a brilliant African American mathematician. She played a very important role at NASA during the 1960s. Melba Mouton led a special team of mathematicians known as "computers." These experts helped track satellites in space. She was the lead mathematician for the Echo Satellites 1 and 2. Later, she became a chief computer programmer at Goddard Space Flight Center. Her work helped NASA understand how satellites moved around Earth.

Growing Up and Going to College
Her Amazing Career at NASA
Her Family Life
A Mountain on the Moon Named After Her
Images for kids
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Growing Up and Going to College

Melba Louise Chloe was born in 1929 in Fairfax, Virginia. Her parents were Rhodie and Edna Chloe. She loved learning and went to Howard University. In 1950, she earned a master's degree in mathematics. Before that, she got a bachelor's degree in math with a focus on physics.

While at Howard, Melba was very active. She led the Future Teachers of America club. She was also part of the NAACP and the Mathematics Club. She was a member of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority. Melba was an excellent student. She was on the Dean's Honor Roll for all four years. She was even chosen for a special list of top students in American universities.

Her Amazing Career at NASA

Melba Roy, a "computer" at NASA in 1964

Before joining NASA, Melba worked for four years. She did statistical analysis for the Army Map Service. She also worked for the United States Census Bureau. In 1959, she began her exciting career at NASA.

A year later, the Echo 1 satellite launched into space. Melba led a team of mathematicians. They were called "computers" because they performed complex calculations. Their job was to track the satellite's path around Earth. This was very important for space missions.

Melba also shared her knowledge with others. She taught about a computer language called A Programming Language. She gave these lessons at Watson Research Laboratories. She also wrote a paper for NASA. It explained why clear instructions for computer programs are so important. This helps programs work well for a long time.

NASA recognized Melba's hard work. She received an Apollo Achievement Award. She also got an Exceptional Performance Award. These awards honored her outstanding contributions. Melba retired from NASA in 1973.

Her Family Life

Melba Mouton was a mother to three children. She was married to Wardell Roy and later to Webster Mouton. She passed away in Silver Spring, Maryland, on June 25, 1990, at the age of 61.

A Mountain on the Moon Named After Her

In May 2022, a special honor was given to Melba Mouton. A lunar mountain at the Lunar south pole was named Mons Mouton after her. This mountain is in the moon's south polar region.

Mons Mouton was chosen for important space missions. It was planned as a landing site for the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER). However, that mission was cancelled in 2024. The mountain was also the landing site for the Intuitive Machines lander mission IM-2. In 2025, the Astrobotic Griffin lander, carrying the Astrolab FLIP rover, also landed there. This shows how important Melba Mouton's legacy is in space exploration.