Artemis II made lunar history on April 6, 2026. As the Orion spacecraft swung around the moon for its closest approach, the crew proposed names for two previously unnamed craters. The first: Carroll, honoring Commander Reid Wiseman‘s late wife. The second: Integrity, after the crew’s spacecraft.
The moment was broadcast live. Jeremy Hansen announced, voice trembling, that the crew wanted to call a bright crater near the boundary of the moon’s near and far sides Carroll. The crater sits just northwest of Glushko crater, a spot sometimes visible from Earth. Carroll Taylor Wiseman died of cancer in 2020, leaving behind two daughters. As the crew floated together for a group hug, Wiseman wiped away tears. Christina Koch removed her glasses to do the same.
A personal moment before the flyby
Before the announcement, Canadian astronaut Jenni Gibbons surprised Wiseman by telling him his family was watching from the gallery. Wiseman responded with a heart gesture to the camera and pointed to a bracelet on his wrist. In a previous interview, he had reflected on his approach to risk and exploration after his wife’s death.
The second crater, Integrity, is located on the moon’s far side between Mare Orientale and Ohm crater. The crew’s proposal was met with support from mission control. Gibbons replied: “Integrity and Carroll crater, loud and clear.”
What happens next
The Artemis II mission is the first crewed lunar flyby since Apollo. If the International Astronomical Union approves the proposals, both names would appear on official lunar maps. The crew lost contact with mission control for 40 to 50 minutes as the moon blocked radio signals during the far-side pass. The mission is set to end with a Pacific Ocean splashdown on April 10.
The naming proposals add a personal chapter to a mission that is otherwise focused on testing hardware and procedures for future Artemis landings. Whether the IAU accepts both names remains to be seen, but the crew’s request has already drawn public attention to the human side of the program.