Lunar crater naming by Artemis II astronauts follows Apollo tradition

Artemis II astronauts made an emotional request to name two lunar craters during their historic mission, echoing a heartfelt tradition from the Apollo era as they return from humanity’s first voyage to the moon in more than 50 years.

While hurtling back toward Earth, the four-person crew asked permission to name a small, fresh lunar crater “Carroll” after commander Reid Wiseman’s late wife, who died of cancer in 2020. They also proposed naming another crater “Integrity” after their spacecraft.

Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen made the poignant request just before Monday’s lunar fly-around, as Wiseman was too emotional to speak. “We lost a loved one. Her name was Carroll, the spouse of Reid, the mother of Katie and Ellie,” Hansen radioed to Mission Control, his voice breaking. “It’s a bright spot on the moon and we would like to call it Carroll.”

Mission Control fell silent for nearly a minute before responding: “Integrity and Carroll crater, loud and clear.”

NASA lunar scientist Ryan Watkins, speaking from Johnson Space Center in Houston, described the powerful moment: “It was definitely a very emotional moment. I don’t think most of us knew it was coming. There was not a single dry eye.”

The gesture follows a meaningful precedent set during Apollo 8 in 1968, when astronaut Jim Lovell named a prominent lunar peak “Mount Marilyn” after his wife, who anxiously awaited his return in Houston during humanity’s first trip around the moon. That name was officially recognized by the International Astronomical Union in 2017, nearly 50 years after the mission.

Mission Control’s lead scientist Kelsey Young had worked quietly with the Artemis II crew before launch, helping them identify the two relatively young, bright craters that would become visible as they approached the moon. The proposed Carroll Crater sits at the moon’s left limb on the boundary between the near and far sides, occasionally visible from Earth. It measures approximately 3 miles (5 kilometers) across and is described as rather shallow. Integrity crater is slightly larger and located entirely on the lunar far side.

The crew’s request came shortly after they broke Apollo 13’s record for the farthest distance traveled by humans in deep space, a moment marked by tears and a group embrace among all four astronauts.

The emotional display represents a notable shift from NASA’s early missions. The Apollo era’s all-male test pilots were generally stoic and businesslike in their approach. “This is no fault of Apollo,” Watkins noted. “I think we’re seeing just a more human aspect.”

Upon returning to Earth later this week, the crew will formally submit their proposed crater names to the International Astronomical Union (IAU) for official recognition. Ramasamy Venugopal of the IAU has promised a decision within about a month, which is standard for “straightforward requests.”

The IAU’s approved list already contains 81 astronaut-named lunar features, including “Baby Ray” and “Gator” from Apollo 16, and “Lara” from Apollo 17, named after the lead female character in the 1965 film “Doctor Zhivago.”

Not all astronaut-suggested names have received official recognition, however. Apollo 17 commander Gene Cernan, the last person to walk on the moon, called a split boulder “Tracy’s Rock” after his young daughter in 1972. Similarly, Apollo 12 commander Pete Conrad’s nickname for his 1969 landing site, “Pete’s Parking Lot,” never gained official status.

The Artemis II mission marks the first time humans have ventured to lunar distance since Apollo 17 concluded NASA’s first moon program in December 1972. With three Americans and one Canadian aboard, the crew is blazing a trail for NASA’s ambitious plans to return humans to the lunar surface later this decade.