Artemis II astronauts follow Apollo tradition of naming lunar features after loved ones
By Marcia Dunn
Published on April 8, 2026.
The Artemis II astronauts have chosen personal names for two lunar craters, following tradition from Apollo 8. The astronauts, Commander Reid Wiseman and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, asked permission to name one of the small, fresh crater after their capsule, Integrity, and another after his late wife, Carroll. The request was made during a lunar fly-around and left ground controllers speechless. The crew will submit the proposed names to the International Astronomical Union later this week. The IAU's Ramasamy Venugopal has promised a decision on Carroll and Integrity in about a month. There are currently 81 astronaut-named lunar features on the approved list.
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