Artemis II Astronauts Continue Apollo Tradition by Naming Lunar Craters After Loved Ones
As the Artemis II mission hurtles home from the moon, the crew has taken a deeply emotional page from the Apollo era by proposing personal names for two lunar craters. Commander Reid Wiseman and his team requested permission to name one small, fresh crater after their spacecraft, Integrity, and another after his late wife, Carroll, continuing a tradition that dates back to the first lunar missions.
A Poignant Request During Lunar Fly-Around
Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen made the formal request just before Monday's lunar fly-around, while Wiseman was too overcome with emotion to speak. Carroll Wiseman, a neonatal nurse, tragically died of cancer in 2020. This gesture echoes Apollo 8 astronaut Jim Lovell's 1968 naming of a prominent lunar peak after his wife, Marilyn, during humanity's first trip to the moon.
The Artemis II crew—comprising three Americans and one Canadian—represents the first lunar visitors since Apollo 17 concluded that historic epoch in 1972. Their unexpected naming request left ground controllers at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston momentarily speechless.
Emotional Moments in Mission Control
"It was definitely a very emotional moment. I don't think most of us knew it was coming," NASA lunar scientist Ryan Watkins told The Associated Press from Houston. "There was not a single dry eye." Mission Control's lead scientist, Kelsey Young, had quietly worked with the crew before launch to help select two bright, relatively young craters visible through zoom lenses and the naked eye.
The proposed Carroll Crater is located at the moon's left limb, on the boundary between the near and far sides, and is occasionally visible from Earth. It measures approximately 3 miles (5 kilometers) across and is rather shallow. The slightly larger Integrity Crater lies completely on the lunar far side.
A Historic Group Hug and Radio Transmission
The naming request came shortly after the Artemis II crew broke Apollo 13's distance record for deep-space travelers. All four astronauts wept as they embraced in a group hug, marking a stark contrast to the typically stoic Apollo-era test pilots.
"We lost a loved one. Her name was Carroll, the spouse of Reid, the mother of Katie and Ellie," Hansen radioed, his voice breaking. "It's a bright spot on the moon and we would like to call it Carroll." Mission Control remained silent for nearly a minute before responding: "Integrity and Carroll crater, loud and clear."
Reflecting on a More Human Aspect of Space Exploration
Watkins noted that this emotional scene highlights a more human aspect of modern space exploration compared to the all-business, tear-free Apollo missions. "This is no fault of Apollo," he said. "I think we're seeing just a more human aspect."
Formal Submission to the International Astronomical Union
Upon returning to Earth later this week, the crew will formally submit the proposed names to the International Astronomical Union (IAU). The IAU's Ramasamy Venugopal promised a decision within about a month, describing it as the norm for straightforward requests. There are already 81 astronaut-named lunar features on the IAU's approved list, including Apollo 16's Baby Ray and Gator, and Apollo 17's Lara, named for the lead female character in the 1965 film "Doctor Zhivago."
Historical Context and Unapproved Nicknames
Nearly half a century passed between Apollo 8 and the IAU's official approval of Mount Marilyn in 2017. Some Apollo-era nicknames, however, did not make the cut. For instance, Apollo 17 commander Gene Cernan dubbed a split boulder "Tracy's Rock" after his young daughter in 1972, and Apollo 12 commander Pete Conrad nicknamed his touchdown spot "Pete's Parking Lot" in 1969.
The Artemis II mission continues to bridge past and present, honoring personal legacies while advancing lunar exploration. The crew's heartfelt tribute underscores the enduring connection between spacefarers and their loved ones, a tradition that now spans generations.
