It was understandably only a matter of time. Rise, the Artemis II crew’s ridiculously adorable zero-gravity indicator, is now available for purchase. On the NASA Exchange website, you can pre-order your own diminutive plushie for $24.99 plus shipping, along with other Artemis goodies including stickers, magnets, hoodies, and more. Patience is a virtue, however. Due to an “extended production time,” NASA is warning collectors that their own, personal Rise may take up to eight weeks to ship.
Zero-gravity indicators—usually a stuffed animal or something similar—have accompanied both U.S. astronauts and Russian cosmonauts into space since the 1960s. More symbolic than technical, the untethered objects mark a crew’s passage beyond Earth’s gravity into space. Rise is an original design, but sometimes more iconic figures serve as a mission’s mascot. In 2022, Snoopy was the only occupant aboard the uncrewed Artemis I mission.
Designed by Lucas Ye, a 2nd grader from Mountain View, California, Rise accompanied NASA’s four-person Artemis II crew during their historic, 10-day lunar flyby mission that launched on April 1. The plushie gained internet fame, along with a floating jar of Nutella and the now viral phrase “moon joy.” Commander Reid Wiseman made sure to safely carry Rise out of the capsule after splashdown on April 10.
Rise was selected from a pool of over 2,500 design submissions from more than 50 countries during NASA’s Moon Mascot contest, and recalls Apollo 8’s iconic “Earthrise” photo from 1968. According to NASA Exchange, all proceeds from the plushie (and its many other products) help fund the “morale, welfare, and recreation of NASA employees.”
