The Moon-Bound Mascot

Rise is the mascot that the astronauts on the Artemis II mission to the Moon will take with them on their Orion capsule. This cute toy was designed by 8-year-old Lucas from Mountain View, California, and was chosen from over 2,600 designs that entered the Moon Mascot contest.

The Artemis II Mission

The Artemis II mission is designed to take humans back to the Moon and establish a permanent presence there. As part of this mission, the astronauts will travel in the Orion capsule.

Rise's Mission

Rise is not just there for moral support. Rise is a zero-gravity indicator, which is a way to show that the astronauts are in space. Rise has a design inspired by the Apollo 8 mission.

Rise in Space

During launch, the astronauts and Rise will be strapped into their seats for the first 8 minutes. But once they reach space, Rise will float and entertain the astronauts in the zero-gravity environment.

The Astronauts' Thoughts

Reid Wiseman, one of the astronauts on the Artemis II mission, said, 'In a spacecraft filled with complex equipment that keeps us alive in space, this indicator is a friendly and useful way to highlight the human element that is so important in the exploration of the universe.'

Other Designs

Other designs that entered the Moon Mascot contest were also very interesting. Designs like 'Big Steps of Little Octopus', 'Corey the Explorer', 'Creation Mythos', and 'Lepus the Moon Rabbit' were among the finalists.

Conclusion

Rise is the mascot that the astronauts on the Artemis II mission will take with them. Rise is not just a toy, but also a zero-gravity indicator. This is a symbol that highlights the importance of human presence in space. The Artemis II mission is designed to take humans back to the Moon and establish a permanent presence there. Rise will continue to remind us of the importance of human presence in space as part of this mission.