&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "'Love you to the moon': Emotions run high as Artemis II crew name Moon crater after astronaut's wife who died of cancer")
Artemis II astronauts identified two unnamed craters on the Moon during their historic flyby and decided to name one of them after mission commander Reid Wiseman's late wife, Carroll. Speaking with mission control on Earth, Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen said that they had seen a "bright spot" on the Moon and they would like to name it after Wiseman's wife. The astronaut lost her to cancer in 2020 and is a single dad raising two daughters. "Our science team helped us out with a couple of relatively fresh craters on the moon that have not been previously named," Hansen said. He goes on to say that they would like to "propose a couple of potential names". "A number of years ago, we started this journey in our close-knit astronaut family, and we lost a loved one. Her name was Carroll. The spouse of Reid. The mother of Katie and Ellie. And we would like to call it Carroll," he says. Hansen added that the crater can also be seen from Earth as it moves during its transit. “It's a bright spot on the moon.”
A warm hug in space
Wiseman wipes his tears and goes on to hug Hansen as the other two also join in the embrace. They named the other crater Integrity, after their spacecraft. The video was shared by a spaceflight photographer and content manager, Jenny Hautmann, and quickly gained two million views. She also shared a photo of Wiseman with his wife from 2014, showing their daughters as well. The crater is located on the boundary of the near side and the far side of the Moon.
Netizens get emotional after a Moon crater was named after Wiseman's late wife
The post left netizens teary-eyed. One user wrote, "So this is what 'Love you to the moon and back' truly means." Another added, "How wonderful and appropriate to name a crater on the moon in honor of the wife of Commander Wiseman. Salute to Carroll Crater, a “bright spot on the moon.” That sounds just right." One wrote, "Carroll Crater. Has a 'ring' to it."
Wiseman's wife was a nurse in a newborn intensive care unit and passed away after a battle with cancer in 2020. He has two teen daughters, Ellie and Katherine, whom he has been raising as a single dad. Before leaving for the mission, Wiseman shared that he had explained everything to them about what to do if something went wrong. He added that they understand that it is a risky mission, "but they also know the importance of exploration and that humanity needs to push beyond the unknown."
