Rise: Artemis II's Plush Zero-G Mascot

More than 50 years after Apollo, NASA is sending humans back toward the Moon. Artemis II will carry four astronauts on a lunar flyby — they won’t land, but they will travel farther from Earth than any humans have before.

Riding along is Rise, a round white plush toy chosen as the mission’s "celestial buddy" or moon mascot. Rise was designed by 8-year-old Lucas Ye of California. Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen has been photographed holding the toy (credit: NASA).

Rise is the official Zero Gravity Indicator for Artemis II. The toy wears a hat with an Earth motif and a brim decorated with galaxies and rockets. As a Zero-G indicator, Rise will float to show the crew when they have left Earth’s gravity behind, adding a simple, playful signal amid complex operations.

The practice of flying small dolls or plush figures to mark weightlessness goes back to 1961, when Yuri Gagarin carried a small doll on Vostok 1. Since then, stuffed companions have become a lighthearted tradition that also helps communicate the moment of transition to microgravity.

Notable plush passengers on recent missions:

- Rise: Artemis II’s official Zero-G indicator, designed by Lucas Ye.

- Baby Yoda: Rode as a Zero-G indicator on SpaceX’s first operational commercial crew mission to the ISS in 2020.

- Snoopy: NASA’s mascot since 1968 and a Zero-G indicator on Artemis I as part of the Space Flight Awareness program.

- Shaun the Sheep: Traveled aboard Artemis I after participating in outreach with the Orion spacecraft and European Service Module.

- Tremor the Dinosaur: A blue-and-pink sequined dinosaur used as the Zero-G indicator on SpaceX Crew Dragon Demo-2 in 2020.

These small companions bring a human, outreach-focused touch to milestone missions while performing a simple technical role.