Artemis II Astronauts Get Emotional Naming Moon Crater After Commander’s Late Wife

The astronauts of Artemis II are paying tribute to a late loved one.

As Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, and Astronauts Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen reached a record-breaking 252,756 miles from Earth on Monday during their journey to the moon, they marked the historic moment by naming two newly-discovered craters.

After suggesting the first unnamed crater be called “Integrity” in honor of their “great” spaceship, Hansen says in a video from space that the crew had decided on “Carroll” for the second crater, honoring Wiseman’s late wife Carroll, who died of cancer in 2020.

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“A number of years ago, we started this journey in our close-knit astronaut family, and we lost a loved one. And there’s a feature in a really neat place on the moon,” Hansen tells mission control in a video shared by NASA. “At certain times … we will be able to see this from Earth.”

“We lost a loved one, her name was Carroll, the spouse of Reid, the mother of Katey and Ellie…,” he continues, his voice wavering with emotion. “[The crater is] a bright spot on the moon and we would like to call it Carroll.”

It was a heartfelt moment for the entire crew, as Wiseman can be seen wiping away tears in the video footage before placing his hand on Hansen’s shoulder and embracing him. Glover and Koch, who can also be seen wiping away tears, join the group hug not long after.

Wiseman’s late wife, Carroll, “dedicated her life to helping others as a newborn intensive care unit Registered Nurse,” according to his NASA biography, and is survived by Wiseman and their two children, Katey and Ellie.

“Despite a long list of professional accolades, Reid considers his time as an only parent as his greatest challenge and the most rewarding phase of his life,” the biography continues.

“Sounds like Carroll was loved to the Moon and back, literally,” one Instagram commenter opined under the NASA footage, as another wrote, “These are the moments from this mission people will remember forever. We will all remember Carroll now when we look up at the Moon.”