Artemis II crew names Moon craters “Integrity” and “Carroll” in tribute during lunar flyby

Moments after creating history for the farthest distance ever traveled by humans, NASA’s Artemis II crew shared a moving tribute that honored both the mission, as well as, a personal loss. The astronauts proposed naming two newly spotted lunar craters “Integrity” (after their spacecraft)  and “Carroll” (after Commander Reid Wiseman’s late wife). The moment came quickly after the crew broke the Apollo 13 record for farthest ever distance from Earth traveled by humans — going past 248,655 miles. The milestone came at approximately 1:56 p.m. EDT on April 6, and Orion continued its flyby around the Moon.

Upon breaking the distance record, mission specialist Jeremy Hansen (Canadian Space Agency) addressed Mission Control from the Orion spacecraft. Hansen remarked on the achievement and spoke about identifying a couple of unnamed lunar craters near the Orientale basin that were visible to the naked eye for the first time. After naming one crater after Integrity (Orion’s crew-given name), he shared the name for the second crater, “Carroll,” honoring Carroll Taylor Wiseman, who passed away in 2020 after a battle with cancer.

“Her name was Carroll, the spouse of Reid, the mother of Katie and Ellie (daughters of Reid and Carroll),” said an emotional Hansen. “A number of years ago, we started this journey and we lost a loved one and there’s a feature on a really neat place on the moon. At certain times of the Moon’s transit, we will be able to see this from Earth,” he added. Other crew members were also visibly moved by this tribute, as seen in NASA’s livestreamed coverage of the event from inside the capsule. Within a few minutes, the Mission Control radioed their confirmation, thus giving the two craters new names. Wiseman's daughters were also reportedly watching from Mission Control during the lunar flyby.

The Integrity crater can be found just northwest of the Orientale basin, while the Carroll crater is located northeast of Integrity, near the boundary between the Moon’s near and far sides. Hansen confirmed that the Carroll crater is a bright spot on the Moon, and can be seen to the northwest of Glushko crater. Due to its position, it may be visible from Earth at certain times. The names “Integrity” and “Carroll” are both pending approval from the International Astronomical Union. Apollo 8 had a similar moment as well, when astronaut Jim Lovell named a crater after his wife, Marilyn.

The late Lovell had also commanded Apollo 13 and left behind a congratulatory recording for the Artemis II crew for breaking his long-standing spaceflight record. Now, the four astronauts are busy observing the Moon and completing science goals as per the Lunar Targeting Plan. The phase will last for about seven hours, as Orion will pass as close as 4,070 miles above the Moon. The crew observes the lunar surface from a unique vantage point, working through a list of 30 science targets, including craters, ancient lava flows, and cracks and ridges.

More on Starlust

Here's what the Artemis II crew will see when they fly by the Moon's far side on April 6

The Artemis II crew had a toilet scare aboard the Orion spacecraft