Artemis crew names lunar crater 'Carroll' after commander's late wife
What's the story
The Artemis II crew, currently at the forefront of human space exploration, has named a lunar crater after the late wife of mission commander Reid Wiseman. The announcement was made by Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen during a live broadcast. "It's a bright spot on the Moon. And we would like to call it Carroll," he said, referring to the crater that can be seen during the Moon's transit around Earth. Carroll Taylor Wiseman died of cancer in 2020.
Emotional tribute
Hansen announced the name as Wiseman embraced him
The naming of the crater was an emotional moment for the Artemis II crew. As Hansen announced the name, Wiseman and his fellow astronauts were visibly moved, sharing a silent embrace in zero gravity. The crew also named another crater "Integrity," after their spacecraft's name. These tributes were not just personal tokens but also a way to honor their mission's spirit and legacy.
Twitter Post
Take a look at the emotional moment onboard Orion
To commemorate the Artemis II mission, the astronauts announced their suggestion to rename certain features on the Moon to honor the Orion spacecraft, named Integrity, as well as commander Reid Wiseman's late wife, Carroll. pic.twitter.com/ejfhnItDo8
— NASA (@NASA) April 6, 2026
Milestone achievement
Artemis II crew are on historic lunar flyby
The Artemis II crew also made history by becoming the first humans to travel the farthest from Earth. They are also exploring parts of the Moon that have never been seen with the naked eye before, as part of NASA's historic lunar flyby. "We most importantly choose this moment to challenge this generation and the next, to make sure this record is not long-lived," Hansen said, emphasizing their mission's significance.