Artemis II Crew Proposes Naming Moon Crater After Commander's Late Wife
The Artemis II crew, led by Reid Wiseman, was the first to lay eyes on several craters on the far side of the moon. The astronauts want to name one of them after Carroll Wiseman, who died of cancer in 2020.
The astronauts of NASA's Artemis II mission are pushing to honor a personal loss with a cosmic tribute, suggesting that a newly observed crater on the far side of the moon be named 'Carroll' after the late wife of their commander, Reid Wiseman.
Carroll Wiseman passed away in 2020 after a battle with cancer, leaving behind a legacy remembered deeply by her husband and those who knew her. Now, the crew she never got to see reach the moon wants to ensure her name lives among the stars.
The Artemis II crew made history as the first human beings to lay eyes on several craters located on the lunar far side, a region perpetually turned away from Earth and largely unseen until spacecraft began photographing it in the 20th century. The mission marked a landmark moment in NASA's broader Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the lunar surface for the first time since the Apollo era.
Commander Reid Wiseman was joined by fellow astronauts who rallied behind the idea of formally proposing the name Carroll for one of the craters they were the first to observe up close. The gesture reflects the deep personal bonds that form among crew members during the intense preparation and execution of spaceflight missions.
Formal crater naming is governed by the International Astronomical Union, which maintains strict guidelines and a lengthy approval process for celestial nomenclature. The crew's proposal would need to be formally submitted and reviewed before any name could be officially recognized.
NASA has a long tradition of honoring individuals connected to its missions through the naming of celestial features, spacecraft components, and launch sites. If approved, the name Carroll would join a legacy of tributes etched permanently into the geography of the moon.
The proposal has drawn widespread attention and an outpouring of public support, with many praising the crew's heartfelt initiative. For Reid Wiseman, the possibility of his wife's name gracing the surface of the moon represents a reunion of sorts between a life lost too soon and a frontier humanity is only beginning to explore.