A small lunar crater visible from Earth will carry the name Carroll in memory of Carroll Taylor Wiseman, a former school nurse who served military families at Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Southern Maryland.
The proposal came from the Artemis II crew during the mission’s lunar flyby on April 6, 2026, as they passed within about 4,067 miles of the Moon’s surface. Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen spoke for the crew when he suggested the name for an unnamed crater located just northeast of another they proposed calling Integrity, near the boundary of the Moon’s near and far sides.
“We lost a loved one, her name was Carroll, the spouse of Reid, the mother of Katey and Ellie,” Hansen said, his voice emotional. “It’s a bright spot on the moon, and we would like to call it Carroll.”
Credit: Wiseman Family
Commander Reid Wiseman, a U.S. Navy captain, wiped tears as his crewmates offered support. The crew noted they could see the crater with the naked eye during the observation period.
Carroll Taylor Wiseman, 46, died May 17, 2020, in Friendswood, Texas, after a five-year battle with cancer. A native of Virginia Beach, Virginia, she graduated from First Colonial High School, James Madison University and Virginia Commonwealth University. She became a pediatric nurse practitioner and worked at Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters in Norfolk, Virginia.
She later served as a school nurse in Patuxent River, Maryland, supporting children of service members and civilian employees at the nation’s primary naval aviation test and evaluation center. She continued her career as a school nurse in Friendswood, Texas, near NASA’s Johnson Space Center.
Southern Maryland residents connected to NAS Patuxent River remember the close-knit military community where school nurses play a vital role in the health and well-being of families facing frequent deployments and relocations. Wiseman’s time at Pax River placed her among the dedicated professionals who care for the next generation in one of the region’s largest employment hubs.
The crater proposal honors her life and legacy while highlighting the human stories behind the Artemis II mission. The crew also suggested naming a nearby crater Integrity after the Orion spacecraft. Both names are provisional. After the mission, NASA will submit formal proposals to the International Astronomical Union, which governs naming of celestial features.
Artemis II, the first crewed flight in NASA’s Artemis program, carried NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, along with CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen. The mission surpassed the Apollo 13 distance record, reaching 252,756 miles from Earth.
During the lunar observation period, which lasted about seven hours, the crew conducted science observations and shared real-time descriptions of lunar features. Scientists on the ground updated plans based on crew reports of color nuances that help reveal mineral composition and age of surface features.
The moment of naming occurred shortly after the crew broke the human distance record from Earth. Hansen noted the crew’s intent to honor predecessors while challenging future generations.
Southern Maryland maintains strong ties to human spaceflight through NAS Patuxent River, where test pilots and engineers support programs that often overlap with NASA efforts. Wiseman’s service as a school nurse in the Pax River community adds a local connection to the Artemis II crew’s emotional gesture from nearly a quarter-million miles away.
The crater Carroll lies in an area sometimes visible from Earth, near the Orientale basin. Its selection as a bright spot on the lunar surface carries personal significance for the Wiseman family, including daughters Ellie and Katherine.
No timeline has been announced for formal approval by the International Astronomical Union. The proposal stands as a tribute from the crew during a historic mission that tests systems for future lunar landings.
