How Artemis 2’s Reid Wiseman Took His Late Wife’s Legacy to the Moon

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The Artemis II astronauts quickly had to compose themselves after experiencing some emotional moments, to avoid tears floating around inside the spacecraft.

Everyone on board the Integrity spacecraft was deeply moved when a lunar crater – located on both the near and far sides of the moon – was named in honor of Carroll Wiseman, the late wife of mission commander Reid Wiseman, who passed away in 2020.

On April 6th, after reaching a record distance from Earth, mission specialist Jeremy Hansen shared a personal story with mission control. He spoke about the loss of a friend, Carroll, who was the wife of Reid and mother to Katie and Ellie. Hansen described her as a cherished member of their close-knit astronaut community.

They also named a crater ‘Integrity,’ after their spacecraft. According to Hansen, to locate it, you should find Glushko crater first, and then look slightly to the northwest – it’s at the same north-south position as Ohm crater.

“It’s a bright spot on the moon,” he added, “and we would like to call it Carroll.”

Then, Wiseman, Hansen, astronaut Christina Koch, and pilot Victor Glover came together and hugged each other in zero gravity.

After a brief pause, mission control responded, “Integrity and Carroll Crater, we read you clearly, thank you.”

Ellie, age 20, and Katie, 17, watched the touching scene from the visitor area at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Let me tell you about an incredible journey! Back in 2009, I made a big decision and moved my family to Texas, all because I was chasing a childhood dream – becoming an astronaut. And it paid off! In 2014, I finally got to experience the ultimate adventure: a six-month research mission on the International Space Station. It was truly out of this world!

I was so surprised to learn that he almost gave up being a pilot! He’d been a Navy fighter pilot, which always seemed like his dream, but when his wife got sick with cancer, he seriously considered leaving it all behind to be with her.

When Carroll became ill, I wanted to bring her back to Virginia to be with her family, but she refused. As she told The Times in September, she said, ‘We’re staying put. The kids aren’t leaving their school and friends, and you’re not giving up the job you’ve worked so hard for.’

Carroll, a pediatric nurse, was 46 when she died in 2020.

When Wiseman learned he would command the Artemis II mission on March 7, 2023, he was concerned about how his daughters, Ellie and Katie, would react to the inherent dangers of space travel. However, they were thrilled for him.

In a January episode of NASA’s Curious Universe podcast, astronaut Scott Wiseman explained how his children surprisingly responded to a difficult situation with positivity. He shared that his daughter, Ellie, even baked him moon-shaped cupcakes. “I thought they would be upset, but instead they were supporting me,” Wiseman said. “That’s exactly what you hope for as a parent.”

They really needed to talk about what to do if things went wrong, just in case.

The Baltimore native shared that they didn’t believe the conversation frightened their family, but rather it brought a sense of relief. They openly discussed what would happen if they didn’t return, including details about their estate plan. While difficult to initiate, the conversation ultimately felt liberating for everyone involved.

Raising teenagers is challenging enough on its own, and it feels even harder when you’re also dealing with something as huge as preparing for a space mission.

Wiseman mentioned to The Times that while he enjoys reading fiction occasionally for leisure, the vast majority of his reading – around 90 percent – focuses on parenting advice for raising daughters.

He admits that dealing with teenagers can be challenging, but he feels a quiet pride from his daughters. He catches glimpses of it when he talks to their friends or receives positive feedback from their teachers – it’s not always openly expressed, but he knows they’re proud of him.

According to Wiseman, the launch team actually has a relatively easy day. Speaking on Curious Universe, he explained they follow a pre-planned schedule and know exactly what to do. He believes the hardest part of launch day falls on the families of the astronauts, who have to watch their loved ones undertake a dangerous mission. He described watching as ‘very, very difficult’ for them.

Just two days before liftoff from Kennedy Space Center, he took a photo with his daughters, Katie and Ellie, who had secretly packed cookies in his bag. He shared the wide shot—with his $4.1 billion spacecraft in the background—and wrote, ‘Can’t leave without our tradition of sharing a .5 cookie!’ He expressed his love for his daughters and said he was boarding the rocket as a very proud father.

On April 1st, the Artemis II mission launched, marking the first crewed flight to the moon since 1973. Six days later, on April 6th, the spacecraft surpassed a record previously held by Apollo 13, reaching a distance of 252,756 miles from Earth – exceeding Apollo 13’s 248,655-mile journey from 1970.

As they finished orbiting the moon, Wiseman admitted they were struggling to find words to capture the view. “No matter how long we look, our brains can’t process it,” he said. “There are no adjectives adequate to describe what we’re seeing out this window – I’ll have to create new ones.”

He wouldn’t have had this perspective without his family. After Carroll’s passing, they began sending him photos of the moon, a gentle reminder of everything he was working towards.

He told The Times that he felt like he was carrying on his partner’s life’s work, and her family was incredibly proud to see their shared journey of 17 years continue.

And, he added, “I honor her every single day, every single minute.”

Space travel isn’t for everyone, but here’s what some famous people have shared about their experiences or thoughts on going to space.

In February, Gayle King described feeling both scared and thrilled when she learned she’d be joining Blue Origin’s NS-31 crew for their April 14th space flight. Speaking on CBS Mornings, she compared the sensation to the feeling of going into labor.

I’ve always believed it’s never too late to try something new! That’s why I decided to push myself and embrace some adventures outside of my usual routine. Before taking the leap, though, I definitely ran it by my trusted advisors – my sons and, of course, my dear friend Oprah Winfrey. They’re my ‘ground control,’ always offering support and honest feedback!

I was happy to participate once Kirby, Will, and Oprah gave their approval,” King explained. “I actually expected Oprah to decline, but she convinced me that I’d regret missing the chance if I didn’t do it, and she was right.

Before her Blue Origin flight, Katy Perry admitted to wondering what to wear. She told Elle that she’s dreamed of going to space for nearly two decades and had been researching commercial space travel options for years. She was excited from the very beginning about Blue Origin’s plans, saying she wanted to be one of the first to sign up. She flew with William Shatner, Lauren Sánchez, Aisha Bowe, Amanda Nguyen, and Kerianne Flynn.

Back in 2010, MTV News reported that Katy Perry bought a $200,000 ticket for a future suborbital flight with Virgin Galactic, once the company began offering them.

Katy Perry has a strong fascination with aliens and the possibility of life beyond Earth. She explained that it’s hard for her to look at the night sky without realizing how incredibly vast the universe is and how small our planet is. She and her then-husband, Russell Brand, were both very interested in space exploration, and she even joked they were planning a trip to space. (Perry and Brand divorced in 2011.)

With her 2025 space trip with Blue Origin getting closer, the 40-year-old told Elle magazine she’s too busy to dwell on nerves. She admitted she’ll likely feel something during the countdown, but until then, she’s focused on getting things done and taking care of business.

Perry joked that space travel was about to get a lot more stylish. “If I could bring glamour with me into space, I absolutely would,” she said. “We’re going to add some sparkle to the astronaut experience!”

In 2021, 90-year-old William Shatner, famous for his role in Star Trek, traveled to space on a Blue Origin rocket. As soon as he was up there, he quickly floated to a window to take in the view.

Oh my god, you guys, when Captain Kirk – I mean, William Shatner – actually went to space, he described it
 it was just breathtaking. He wrote about it in his book, and honestly, it gave me chills. He said he saw this
 emptiness. Not just black, but a cold, dark blackness, unlike anything here on Earth. He said it completely surrounded him, like nothing he’d ever experienced. And then he turned back towards Earth, and everything just burst with color – the deserts, the clouds, the sky
 it was just
 life! He called it Mother Earth, Gaia, and the thought of leaving it all behind
 it was so powerful. I read it over and over, and it still gets me every time. It wasn’t just a trip to space, it was a spiritual experience, you know?

“Everything I had thought was wrong. Everything I had expected to see was wrong.”

The experience deepened Shatner’s appreciation for Earth. He explained that it strongly confirmed his belief in the incredible connection between all people, and ultimately brought him a renewed sense of hope.

In a video message wishing King well before her Blue Origin flight, Shatner called it “an adventure of a lifetime – something you’ll never experience again.” He encouraged her to fully enjoy the trip.

In 2002, Lance Bass began training for a trip to space. The pop star worked to get in shape alongside a Russian crew, thanks to an agreement between the space tourism company MirCorp and a documentary film crew. They purchased a $20 million seat on a Soyuz flight to the International Space Station for him.

But there was an insurance issue a week before launch, and Bass didn’t get to go.

He told Space.com in 2023 that he was very disappointed there wasn’t a documentary made about the experience, but he was still glad he completed the training.

Justin Timberlake said he’d still like to visit the International Space Station someday, but he’s not interested in the brief, suborbital flights offered by companies like Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic.

Michael Strahan described his December 2021 trip to space on Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket as feeling like an out-of-body experience.

He said it was surreal, speaking to Amy Robach, a colleague at ABC News at the time. He described it as a disorienting feeling, like being weightless—similar to the sensation of a rocket launching, detaching, and losing all sense of direction. He explained that his body reacted instinctively, and even though he should have stayed strapped in, it felt natural to unbuckle his seatbelt.

In March 2022, Pete Davidson, who was dating Kim Kardashian at the time, initially agreed to join a Blue Origin space flight on the New Shepard, alongside five paying customers. However, after the flight was postponed, Davidson was no longer able to participate.

Blue Origin announced that Pete Davidson will no longer be flying on the upcoming NS-20 mission. They plan to reveal who will take his place soon.

Okay, so when I found out he was actually going, I totally panicked! I mean, I remember my parents being absolutely devastated back in ’86 when the Challenger exploded, and honestly, that memory just flooded back. I was so freaked out for him, it was awful!

Kim Kardashian revealed on her show that Jeff Bezos asked Pete Davidson to join him on a trip to space. She admitted she was shocked, saying it felt like a really wild idea.

After speaking with Jeff Bezos and learning about the safety measures, thorough testing, and overall precautions Amazon takes, she felt alright with Pete going forward with it.

And, Kardashian added, “If I didn’t have four kids, I would absolutely go.”

Although SpaceX founder Elon Musk hasn’t personally flown on one of his company’s spacecraft, he predicted back in 2016 at the International Astronautical Conference that humans could be traveling to Mars as early as 2024. He acknowledged even then that this was a hopeful, rather than certain, timeframe.

Musk also admitted that the initial trips to Mars would be incredibly risky, stating that there was a significant chance of losing lives. He emphasized that this danger was unavoidable.

In September 2024, he revised the target for SpaceX, stating they planned to launch an unmanned Starship to Mars by the end of 2026. He added that they hoped to send astronauts to Mars two years later.

During a White House conversation in October 2016 between President Barack Obama and climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe, Leonardo DiCaprio playfully suggested he might be open to the idea of colonizing Mars.

As Hayhoe explained the need for leaders who take climate change seriously, she joked, “Most of us are still living on Earth – unless you’ve already booked a one-way ticket to Mars, which, frankly, I think is a bit much!”

To which DiCaprio interjected, “I did.”

Quipped Obama, “I think he’ll acknowledge he’s crazy.”

Leonardo DiCaprio hasn’t confirmed or denied whether he planned to travel to space, but he once expressed interest in flying with Virgin Galactic. In fact, a seat on one of their spacecraft was auctioned for $1.5 million at a charity event he attended during the 2013 Cannes Film Festival—the amfAR Cinema Against AIDS gala.

Over time, Virgin Galactic’s Richard Branson admitted he wasn’t certain if Leonardo DiCaprio would actually be on the very first commercial flight.

Back in 2016, he told Vulture that around 700 people were actively participating in the program, and many had been involved for a decade since its beginning. He also indicated they were nearing the end of the program’s run.

In 2018, Virgin Galactic’s VSS Unity successfully completed its first journey to the edge of space, though Leonardo DiCaprio wasn’t on board.

In February 2013, Justin Bieber tweeted, “I wanna do a concert in space.”

NASA replied, “Maybe we can help you  with that.”

In June, Richard Branson announced on Twitter that Justin Bieber and his manager, Scooter Braun, had reserved spots on Virgin Galactic’s upcoming spaceflights, playfully adding, “Congrats, see you there!”

To which Bieber replied, “Let’s shoot a music video in SPACTopMob!”

None of this has happened yet. 

Tom Hanks developed a lifelong fascination with space after seeing Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey at age 12 in 1968.

In 2023, the Apollo 13 star explained to The Guardian that the film showed a compelling vision of humanity in the vast emptiness of space. While he’d followed the space program before, he hadn’t been captivated by its beauty or emotional appeal until he watched the movie.

A month after being deeply moved by a film, he watched the Apollo 8 Christmas broadcast of the spacecraft orbiting the moon. He remembered being struck by the sight of the entire Earth on his television, realizing he was actually living on the planet he was seeing in the broadcast.

His newest project, The Moonwalkers: A Journey with Tom Hanks, is an engaging film about the Apollo missions. It’s currently showing at Space Center Houston, and he both helped write and narrates it.

Tom Hanks is also said to be on the waiting list for a Virgin Galactic flight. However, back in 2021, he revealed on Jimmy Kimmel Live! that he’d previously declined a chance to fly with Blue Origin because he preferred to stay grounded.

Hanks joked that it cost around 28 million dollars. He added, “I’m doing well, Jimmy, but there’s no way I’m paying that much.”

Ashton Kutcher initially planned to fly with Virgin Galactic, but after discussing it with Mila Kunis, he decided to sell his ticket.

He explained to Cheddar News in July 2021 that after he got married and started a family, his wife felt it wasn’t a good idea for him to go to space, considering they had young children.

Prince William won’t be accused of trying to colonize Mars, thank you very much.

In a 2021 interview with the BBC’s Newscast, he argued that the world needs to prioritize repairing Earth. He emphasized that focusing on solutions here on our planet is vital, rather than abandoning it and searching for answers in space.

And, the father of three noted, he admittedly preferred to measure altitude in feet, not miles.

“I don’t want to go that high at all,” William explained. “I’m a pilot, but I prefer to fly relatively low. I once went up to 65,000 feet in an airplane, and it was incredibly scary.”

In a 2014 interview with InStyle magazine, Cameron Diaz expressed her enthusiasm for space travel, calling it “the next frontier.” She believes it’s inevitable that humans will eventually need to live on other planets, explaining that exploration is simply part of our nature.

While watching a blue moon rise over the beach in St. Barts, the actress shared a feeling of humility, saying, “I don’t claim to understand things. I just recognize that there are forces much greater than myself, and I accept whatever those forces may be.”

Even after playing a role in Ridley Scott’s Prometheus, a prequel to Alien, Michael Fassbender remained interested in actually traveling to space, despite the famously silent and dangerous conditions.

He mentioned in a 2012 interview with W magazine that while he would jump at the opportunity to travel to space, it wasn’t something he’d ever actively pursued.

Fassbender’s Prometheus costar Charlize Theron, however, was a little haunted.

Charlize Theron joked that she’s not cut out for space travel. She told W magazine that she was so frightened while watching Prometheus at a screening that she accidentally hit the metal chair beside her, leaving a small scar. Even knowing what was going to happen didn’t help, and she admitted, ‘That says a lot about how easily scared I am.’

As a lifestyle expert, I remember when the news broke that Paris Hilton signed up for a Virgin Galactic flight way back in 2008 – a full decade before they actually had a flight! It was surprising to hear her admit in an interview that she was honestly pretty terrified about it. It just goes to show, even someone who seems fearless can have anxieties!

Hilton wondered aloud, “What if I never return?” He considered the vast distances involved and imagined coming back thousands of years in the future, only to find everyone he knew had passed away. He joked, “It would be awful – I’d have to rebuild my life from scratch.”

Although she didn’t go on the trip herself, Paris Hilton shared during a 2021 interview that her husband, Carter Reum, had previously told her he’d purchased a ticket to go.

Branson said their goal is to eventually make space travel accessible to more people and lower the cost, but acknowledged it will take time because space travel is currently very expensive.

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2026-04-08 01:19