Artemis II proposed a name for a crater. It left everyone in tears.
Tonight, when the Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman's daughters go to bed, they can look at the moon and know both their father and mother are out there.
Wiseman and the rest of the NASA mission's crew flew around the lunar far side on Monday, April 6, marking the climactic moment in their 10-day spaceflight: their closest approach to the moon. Commander Wiseman, along with pilot Victor Glover and mission specialists Jeremy Hansen and Christina Koch, spent their day in deep space observing the moon.
A few hours before mission control's expected communication blackout with the Orion spacecraft, the crew announced they had seen two previously unnamed craters and would like to propose names for them.
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One was to honor Wiseman's late wife.
"There's a feature in a really neat place on the moon," Hansen, whose voice trembled, told Houston. "It's a bright spot on the moon, and we'd like to call it Carroll."
Carroll Taylor Wiseman, who had two daughters with Wiseman, died of cancer in 2020. She was 46. Their children are Katie and Ellie.
The fresh crater lies near the boundary between the moon's near side and far side — an area that, at certain times during the moon's orbit, can be seen from Earth. This feature is just northwest of Glushko crater.
As Hansen spoke in the livestream, Wiseman could be seen in the spacecraft, dubbed Integrity, wiping his eyes and placing his hand on his crewmate's shoulder. Then, all four astronauts, who have trained together for the mission since 2023, floated toward each other for a group hug. Koch removed her glasses to wipe away tears.
Before the emotional moment, Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jenni Gibbons, serving as the communicator in mission control, told Wiseman that he had family in the viewing gallery. That was a surprise. After questioning if Gibbons was kidding, he made a heart with his hands toward the video camera and pointed to a bracelet on his wrist.
In a 2023 interview with Mashable, Wiseman said he'd grappled with the what-if scenarios if something were to go wrong on the mission.
"I've got two teenage daughters. I love them to death. They're the best thing in my life," he said. "Life is filled with risks, so why would anybody choose to not live? Go out there and explore. Go do great things."
When the spacecraft wraps around the far side on Monday, the astronauts will lose contact with mission control for about 40 to 50 minutes. That blackout is caused by the moon blocking radio signals between them. Glover said he hopes the world will pray along with them at that time. The spacecraft is expected to splash down in the Pacific Ocean on Friday, April 10.
To honor their spacecraft, the crew also proposed naming another crater Integrity. This second landmark is located on the far side, sandwiched between Mare Orientale and the Ohm crater.
Gibbons, who trained with the crew as an alternate, called back: "Integrity and Carroll crater, loud and clear."
Topics NASA
Elisha Sauers writes about space for Mashable, taking deep dives into NASA's moon and Mars missions, chatting up astronauts and history-making discoverers, and jetting above the clouds. Through 17 years of reporting, she's covered a variety of topics, including health, business, and government, with a penchant for public records requests. She previously worked for The Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk, Virginia, and The Capital in Annapolis, Maryland. Her work has earned numerous state awards, including the Virginia Press Association's top honor, Best in Show, and national recognition for narrative storytelling. For each year she has covered space, Sauers has won National Headliner Awards, including first place for her Sex in Space series. Send space tips and story ideas to [email protected] or text 443-684-2489. Follow her on X at @elishasauers.
