8-Year-Old Californian's 'Zero Gravity Indicator' Heads to Moon on Artemis II

Lucas Ye's stuffed toy 'Rise' will float when crew reaches weightlessness on historic lunar mission.

Apr. 2, 2026 at 10:05am

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

When the Artemis II rocket launched from the Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday, it carried an especially unique crew member - an 8-year-old boy's stuffed toy 'Rise' that will indicate to astronauts when they reach zero gravity. Lucas Ye, from Mountain View, California, won an international competition to design the plush 'zero gravity indicator' that will float when the crew is no longer under the influence of Earth's gravity.

Why it matters

The tradition of bringing a plush toy 'zero gravity indicator' on space missions dates back to Yuri Gagarin's historic Vostok 1 flight in 1961. Lucas' 'Rise' toy continues this legacy, representing the excitement and wonder of space exploration for a new generation of young people.

The details

Lucas' 'Rise' toy was inspired by the iconic 'Earthrise' photo from the Apollo 8 mission and features a round, squishy moon wearing a baseball cap with Earth and stars. The back of the cap has Neil Armstrong's footprint, while the Orion constellation represents the Artemis II mission. Lucas, a second-grader, was selected from over 2,600 entries across 50 countries in a competition run by Freelancer.com. As a reward, he and his family were able to attend the Artemis II launch at Kennedy Space Center.

  • Artemis II launched from the Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday, April 2, 2026.
  • The crew capsule, including the 'Rise' toy, is expected to reach the moon on Monday morning.
  • The crew capsule is set to splash down off San Diego around 5 p.m. Pacific time on April 10, 2026.

The players

Lucas Ye

An 8-year-old boy from Mountain View, California who won an international competition to design a 'zero gravity indicator' stuffed toy that is now aboard the Artemis II mission to the moon.

Artemis II

The second mission in NASA's Artemis program that will send astronauts on a flyby of the moon.

Rise

The stuffed toy 'zero gravity indicator' designed by 8-year-old Lucas Ye that will float when the Artemis II crew reaches weightlessness.

Freelancer.com

The global crowdsourcing marketplace that ran the competition for designing the 'zero gravity indicator' that Lucas Ye won.

Reid Wiseman

The commander of the Artemis II mission who was part of the judging panel that selected Lucas Ye's 'Rise' design.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“I like space, I like rockets, I like NASA, I like the solar system, I like studying about space.”

— Lucas Ye, 8-year-old designer of 'Rise' zero gravity indicator

“Asked by a NASA representative on Wednesday how he felt knowing that his creation was headed to space, the second-grader said he was 'really, really, really, really, really, really, really surprised and very happy.'”

— Lucas Ye

What’s next

If all goes to plan, the Artemis II crew capsule is set to splash down off San Diego around 5 p.m. Pacific time on April 10, 2026.

The takeaway

Lucas Ye's 'Rise' toy represents the excitement and wonder of space exploration for a new generation of young people, continuing the tradition of bringing a 'zero gravity indicator' on historic space missions. This achievement highlights the creativity and passion that kids can bring to the field of space science.