In a deeply personal moment during the Artemis II mission, the crew of the Orion spacecraft used their final moments of communication before a lunar blackout to propose names for two newly identified lunar craters. The gesture served as both a tribute to a lost loved one and a symbolic nod to the mission’s core values.
A Personal Legacy on the Lunar Surface
As the spacecraft Integrity approached its closest point to the Moon on Monday, April 6, mission specialist Jeremy Hansen delivered an emotional request to Mission Control. He proposed naming a prominent, bright crater “Carroll” in honor of the late Carroll Taylor Wiseman, wife of the mission commander, Reid Wiseman.
Carroll Wiseman passed away from cancer in 2020 at the age of 46. The proposal transformed a scientific observation into a profound moment of remembrance for Wiseman and his two daughters.
“There’s a feature in a really neat place on the moon,” Hansen said, his voice trembling during the live broadcast. “It’s a bright spot on the moon, and we’d like to call it Carroll.”
The “Carroll” crater is located near the boundary between the Moon’s near and far sides, situated just northwest of the Glushko crater. Because of its position, the feature is visible from Earth during specific lunar orbits.
Solidarity in Deep Space
The announcement triggered a visible wave of emotion among the four crew members—Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialists Jeremy Hansen and Christina Koch. As the crew had trained together since 2023, the moment underscored the tight bond shared by those venturing into deep space.
Following the proposal, the astronauts shared a group hug within the spacecraft, a moment captured on the mission’s livestream. This human connection highlights a recurring theme in long-duration spaceflight: the intense psychological reliance on crewmates when separated from Earth by hundreds of thousands of miles.
Naming “Integrity”
In addition to the tribute to Wiseman’s wife, the crew proposed a second name for a crater located on the Moon’s far side, positioned between Mare Orientale and the Ohm crater. They chose the name “Integrity,” directly honoring the name of their spacecraft.
This dual naming convention—one personal and one mission-oriented—reflects the duality of space exploration: the pursuit of scientific achievement alongside the deeply human experiences that drive explorers to take such significant risks.
The Challenges of Lunar Orbit
The crew made these announcements just before entering a scheduled communication blackout. As the Orion spacecraft rounded the far side of the Moon, the lunar mass blocked all radio signals between the astronauts and Mission Control, a period expected to last between 40 and 50 minutes.
As the mission nears its conclusion, the crew is scheduled to splash down in the Pacific Ocean on Friday, April 10.
Conclusion
The Artemis II crew’s decision to name lunar landmarks “Carroll” and “Integrity” serves as a lasting human imprint on the Moon, bridging the gap between scientific exploration and the personal legacies of those who dare to explore it.
