“Bright Spot On The Moon” Named After Artemis II Mission Commander’s Late Wife, Carroll, In Emotional Moment

on Apr 07, 2026

As history was being made, the crew of NASA's Artemis II mission shared it would be naming a crater Carroll, honoring the late wife of Commander Reid Wiseman.

As history was being made on April 6, the crew of NASA's Artemis II mission shared it would be naming a crater "Carroll," honoring the late wife of Commander Reid Wiseman. Here, Reid and his late wife, Carroll, can be seen together. (Photo credit: NASA)

Watch The Crew Come Together As They Honor Commander Reid Wiseman’s Late Wife

The crew of NASA’s Artemis II mission broke the distance record yesterday as they began their seven-hour flyby of the Moon on Monday, April 6.

Still, as they crossed Apollo 13’s record set in 1970, eventually going a total of 252,756 miles from Earth, their connection to home and their own humanity was on full display.

Shortly after surpassing the distance record, the crew announced they would be naming two craters on the Moon’s surface in honor of their journey.

These names for the lunar features were announced by astronaut Jeremy Hansen — who is the sole Canadian member of the crew, flying on behalf of CSA.

The first, he said, was going to be named Integrity, taking after the name of their Orion spacecraft.

Prefacing the naming of the second crater on the Moon, Hansen said it was “especially meaningful to this crew” that had become a “close-knit astronaut family,” adding, “We lost a loved one.”

In 2020, Reid Wiseman, the mission’s commander, and his family suffered a tragedy as his wife, Carroll, died at the age of 46 after a five-year battle with cancer, her obituary states.

Now, Wiseman is a single dad, caring for their daughters Katey and Ellie.

Continuing, Hansen noted “there’s a feature in a really neat place on the Moon,” and then went on to say, “We lost a loved one, her name was Carroll, the spouse of Reid, the mother of Katey and Ellie.”

Wiseman began wiping away tears.

Hansen went on to say that this crater is Northwest of Glushko, at the same latitude of Ohm, for those who wish to find it on a map of the Moon’s surface.

“It’s a bright spot on the Moon,” Hansen stated. “We would like to call it Carroll.”

Just before Hansen spelled Carroll aloud, Wiseman placed his hand on Hansen’s shoulder, visibly moved by the tribute. Also in view of the camera was fellow astronaut Christina Koch, who can be seen drying her eyes.

Floating in the weightlessness of space, Wiseman then gives Hansen a moving embrace, and Koch as well as mission pilot Victor Glover join in on the hug.

From ground control, the confirmation of the name proposals can be heard, “Integrity and Carroll, loud and clear.”

On Instagram, NASA posted the clip of the crater name proposals, writing, “No matter how far we travel, the ones we love stay with us.”

NASA went on to detail:

“The International Astronomical Union (IAU) is the entity responsible for naming planetary features. Lunar features are generally named after explorers, scientists, or engineers who have been deceased for three years, but several features have also been officially named for the provisional names that astronauts designate during lunar exploration, like Carroll’s. One example is Mount Marilyn, named for Jim Lovell’s wife.”

Watch the powerful moment, here:

When Will The Artemis II Crew Return To Earth?

The crew began its 10-day journey around the Moon on April 1, paving the way for continued exploration of the Moon and the deeper reaches of space.

Now, the crew is on its return flight to Earth, taking Tuesday, April 7, to rest before their reentry on Friday, April 10.

They are expected to reenter the Earth’s atmosphere at approximately 7:53 p.m. EST, with splashdown off the coast of San Diego, California, to follow at 8:07 p.m. EST.