Rise Artemis Plush: Fan Art Plush of NASA's Artemis 2 Moon Mascot

On April 1, 2026, as the Space Launch System rocket ignited at Launch Complex 39B and carried four astronauts beyond Earth's orbit for the first time in over 50 years, one small figure rode along inside the Orion capsule. Tethered quietly in the cabin, Rise, a round little plush with a smiling face and an Earth-print cap, waited. The moment gravity loosened its grip, Rise floated free, drifting weightlessly past the windows as the first signal to the world that the Artemis 2 mission had truly left the ground. Within days, this small NASA Artemis plush had become one of the most recognised space mascots in modern spaceflight history.

This fan art plush is a tribute to that moment. Crafted from soft cotton and plush materials to capture every iconic detail of Rise's design, it brings the spirit of the Artemis 2 mission directly into your hands. Whether you watched the launch live, followed the ten-day lunar flyby mission from beginning to end, or simply love the story of a child's sketch becoming a real artefact of human exploration, this Rise Artemis plush is made for you.

The Story Behind the Rise Plush: From a Child's Sketch to the Moon

The origin of Rise begins more than a year before launch. In March 2025, NASA partnered with Freelancer to run a global Moon Mascot Design Challenge for the Artemis 2 mission. The brief was precise: design a zero gravity indicator plush that could fit inside a six-inch cube, weigh no more than twelve ounces, and represent humanity, exploration, and the Artemis spirit. Over 2,600 entries arrived from more than 50 countries.

One of those entries came from Lucas Ye, an eight-year-old from Mountain View, California. Lucas sketched his concept, built a prototype himself, and submitted a design centred on the iconic Earthrise photograph taken by Apollo 8 astronaut William Anders on December 24, 1968. The round white body represented the Moon. The navy cap printed with Earth's continents and scattered with yellow stars paid direct tribute to that photograph. The Orion constellation on the cap nodded to the spacecraft. A tiny footprint on the back honoured Neil Armstrong's first step in 1969. The galaxy-and-rocket brim encompassed every mission before and every mission still ahead.

When the Artemis 2 crew narrowed 2,600 submissions to five finalists, Rise stood apart. Mission specialist Christina Koch introduced Rise at a ceremony at Kennedy Space Center on March 27, 2026: "This little guy, Rise, really resonated with us, because the theme is actually the Earthrise photo taken on Apollo 8, which is inspirational to all of us. Welcome aboard, Rise." The original Rise plush toy was then fabricated by NASA's Thermal Blanket Lab at Goddard Space Flight Center, with technician Pamela Cain sewing it by hand and machine to meet every human spaceflight safety standard.

Tucked inside the original Rise, sealed on an SD card, were the names of over five million people from around the world who had submitted through NASA's Send Your Name with Artemis campaign. Rise did not just represent the crew of Wiseman, Glover, Koch, and Hansen. It represented all of us. This Artemis II mascot plush is a tribute to that extraordinary story.

The Mission Rise Flew: Artemis 2 Lunar Flyby 2026

The Artemis 2 lunar flyby was humanity's first crewed mission beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in December 1972. Over ten days, the crew of the Orion spacecraft, named Integrity, travelled 694,481 miles total, passed within 4,067 miles of the lunar surface on April 6, and set a new record for the farthest distance humans have ever travelled from Earth at 252,756 miles. They witnessed an Earthrise from Orion's windows, saw the far side of the Moon with human eyes for the first time in 54 years, and conducted critical tests to prepare Orion's systems for future NASA Moon mission landings.

Throughout the entire journey, the Rise zero gravity indicator floated freely through the cabin. Videos of Rise drifting past the crew's helmets circulated across social media millions of times. When Orion splashed down off the coast of San Diego on April 10, Rise came home with the crew. It had been to the Moon and back. It had carried five million names with it. And it had made the world feel, for ten days, like everyone was part of something bigger than themselves. This space plush collectible honours every moment of that journey.

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What Every Detail of the Rise Plush Represents

Every element of this Artemis II mascot plush is there for a reason, connecting directly to the history of human spaceflight:

• Round white body: The Moon, the destination of the entire Artemis programme and the surface humanity first walked in 1969.
• Earth-print cap in navy blue: Inspired directly by the Earthrise photograph taken by Apollo 8 astronaut William Anders on December 24, 1968, one of the most reproduced photographs in history.
• Yellow stars on the cap: The night sky as seen from deep space, unfiltered by atmosphere.
• Galaxy-and-rocket brim: Every human spaceflight mission before Artemis, and every mission yet to come.
• Orion constellation: A tribute to the Orion spacecraft that carried the Artemis 2 crew on their lunar flyby mission.
• Tiny footprint on the back: Neil Armstrong's first step on the Moon, July 20, 1969, a quiet acknowledgement of where this story began.
• Smiling embroidered face: The expression that floated past the crew's helmets the moment Rise reached zero gravity aboard the Artemis 2 mission.

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