Artemis II astronauts propose naming lunar craters after loved ones, following Apollo tradition

In a heartfelt gesture echoing the Apollo era, the astronauts of Artemis II have proposed naming two lunar craters after personal connections, as they journey home from their lunar fly-around.

Commander Reid Wiseman and his crew requested that a small, recently formed crater be named after their spacecraft, Integrity, and another after Wiseman's late wife, Carroll. The request was submitted by Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen just before Monday's lunar flyby, leaving Wiseman too emotional to speak at the time. Carroll Wiseman, a neonatal nurse, passed away from cancer in 2020.

"Just for me personally, that was kind of the pinnacle moment of the mission for me," Wiseman said from space yesterday night (8 April).

The gesture recalls the Apollo 8 mission in 1968, when astronaut Jim Lovell named a prominent lunar peak, Mount Marilyn, after his wife. That mission marked humanity's first trip to the moon, with Lovell's wife anxiously awaiting his return in Houston.

The four astronauts of Artemis II - three Americans and one Canadian - are the first to visit the moon since Apollo 17 in 1972. The crew's crater-naming request reportedly left Mission Control speechless. "It was definitely a very emotional moment. I don't think most of us knew it was coming," said NASA lunar scientist Ryan Watkins from Johnson Space Centre. "There was not a single dry eye."

Mission Control's lead scientist, Kelsey Young, had worked quietly with the crew before launch to help them select the two relatively young and bright craters. They identified them both with the naked eye and through zoom lenses once close enough to the moon.

Wiseman said the idea originated with his crewmates during quarantine, a few days before liftoff. "Absolutely, I would love that, I think that's just the best," he recalled telling them. "But I can't give the speech, I can't give the talk," he added, overwhelmed by emotion.

The proposed Carroll Crater is located near the moon's left limb, at the boundary between the near and far sides, occasionally visible from Earth. It is roughly 3 miles (5 kilometres) across. The slightly larger Integrity Crater lies entirely on the lunar far side.

The request came shortly after the crew broke Apollo 13's distance record for deep-space travellers. The four astronauts reportedly embraced in a tearful group hug. Hansen, voice breaking, said over the radio: "We lost a loved one. Her name was Carroll, the spouse of Reid, the mother of Katie and Ellie. It's a bright spot on the moon, and we would like to call it Carroll."

Mission Control paused for nearly a minute before replying: "Integrity and Carroll crater, loud and clear."

Watkins noted that the emotional display contrasts sharply with the Apollo missions of the 1960s and 1970s, where all-male test pilots largely maintained a businesslike, tear-free demeanour. "This is no fault of Apollo," he said. "I think we're seeing just a more human aspect."

Once back on Earth later this week, the crew will submit the proposed names to the International Astronomical Union. A similar process took nearly 50 years for Mount Marilyn, which was officially recognised in 2017. IAU official Ramasamy Venugopal said a decision on Carroll and Integrity craters is expected in about a month, which is standard for straightforward requests.

Currently, the IAU recognises 81 astronaut-named lunar features, including Apollo 16's Baby Ray and Gator, and Apollo 17's Lara, named after the lead female character in the 1965 film Doctor Zhivago. Some Apollo-era nicknames did not receive approval, such as Apollo 17 commander Gene Cernan's "Tracy's Rock" for a boulder in 1972, and Apollo 12 commander Pete Conrad's 1969 "Pete's Parking Lot" for his landing site.

This mission underscores a new, more personal chapter in lunar exploration, blending scientific achievement with emotional homage to loved ones.