science
Rise: the plush carrying 5.6 million names aboard Artemis 2
Rise, designed by a US second grader and picked from thousands of global entries, serves as Artemis 2's zero gravity indicator and carries a microSD with 5,647,889 registered names.
Apr 3rd 2026 · United States
Insights
- Rise is a zero gravity indicator on Artemis 2 that floats when the spacecraft reaches microgravity.
- The plush was designed by Lucas Ye, a second grade student from Mountain View, California, and was chosen from over 2,600 entries from more than 50 countries.
- Rise contains a microSD card with the names of 5,647,889 people who registered symbolically to join the mission.
- The design was inspired by the Earthrise image from Apollo 8 and links that legacy to the Artemis program.
- Rise is the first zero gravity indicator selected via a global public contest, highlighting the participatory nature of the mission.
Sources
- El pequeño Lucas, de ocho años, logra colar a su juguete Rise en la nave Orión www.20minutos.es
- Eight-year-old space lover’s plushie shoots for moon onboard Nasa rocket www.theguardian.com
- Rise, el pequeño peluche que representa a la humanidad rumbo a la Luna www.lavanguardia.com