Four astronauts on the Artemis II mission have proposed naming two previously unnamed lunar craters, including one in honour of a crewmate’s late wife, in a gesture reflecting their close bond during the journey.
On April 1, astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Hammock Koch and Jeremy Hansen launched on a 10-day mission aboard the Orion capsule, Integrity, orbiting the Moon and travelling farther into space than any humans before them.
In a video shared on Instagram on April 6, the crew said they had identified relatively fresh, unnamed craters on the Moon and proposed names after studying them closely.
Hansen said one crater, located between Orientale and Ohm on the Moon’s far side, could be named “Integrity” after their spacecraft.
He added that a second crater held deeper meaning for the team, as it would honour “Carroll”, the late wife of Wiseman.
“We lost a loved one… the spouse of Reid, the mother of Katey and Ellie,” Hansen said, noting the crater’s unique position makes it visible from Earth at certain times.
Wiseman became visibly emotional during the announcement, wiping away tears before embracing Hansen, as the rest of the crew joined in.
According to his biography, Wiseman’s late wife was a neonatal intensive care unit nurse devoted to caring for others. He is now raising their two children, Katey and Ellie, and describes single parenthood as both his greatest challenge and most rewarding role.
Social media users praised the tribute, with many describing it as a touching way to honour her memory.
The crew returned to Earth on April 10, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego at about 8:07 p.m. ET.