Second Grader Designs Moon Mission's Zero-G Mascot

When Lucas Ye sat down to design a stuffed toy for NASA, the seven-year-old from Mountain View, California had no idea his creation would make history. His smiling moon plush, complete with an Earth-themed cap and star-studded brim, will soon float 230,000 miles from home.

NASA's Artemis 2 crew unveiled "Rise" on March 27 as they arrived at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, just days before their historic launch. The adorable mascot will serve as the mission's zero-gravity indicator, the first object to float when the spacecraft leaves Earth's pull.

Lucas drew inspiration from the famous Earthrise photo taken during Apollo 8 in 1968, when astronauts first saw our blue planet rising over the lunar horizon. His design captures that wonder in plush form, reminding us that even the moon looks up to Earth's beauty.

NASA received over 2,600 submissions from students in more than 50 countries after opening the design competition last year. That a second grader's vision rose to the top speaks to the power of seeing space through young eyes.

Astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Jeremy Hansen will launch no earlier than April 1 at 6:24 p.m. EDT. They'll carry Rise with them as they become the first humans to travel to lunar space since Apollo 17 in 1972.

Why This Inspires

Zero-gravity indicators might seem like simple toys, but they represent something profound. They're the moment wonder becomes real, when astronauts and viewers back home watch a stuffed friend begin to dance in microgravity and know the journey has truly begun.

That NASA chose a child's design connects generations. Lucas and his classmates will watch their creation float across the same moon their grandparents marveled at during Apollo, proving that space exploration belongs to dreamers of all ages.

The Artemis program aims to establish permanent human presence on the moon, including lunar bases. Every mission needs that spark of joy and humanity, and Rise delivers both in a package small enough to fit in a child's hand but meaningful enough to carry our collective hopes.

A seven-year-old's imagination is about to orbit the moon.