NASA Selects 25 Finalists for Artemis 2 Plush Toy Contest

When the astronauts aboard Artemis 2 embark on their lunar mission next year, they will be accompanied by a specially selected plush toy that serves as a zero-gravity indicator. On August 15, 2023, NASA and Freelancer, a crowdsourcing platform, announced the 25 finalists from the “Moon Mascot: NASA Artemis II ZGI Design Challenge.” This competition, which took place from March to June, invited participants to create a design representing “humanity, exploration, and the spirit of the Artemis campaign.”

The finalists’ designs illustrate a wide range of creativity, featuring anthropomorphized animals, mythical creatures, and nods to NASA’s rich history and future in space exploration. A complete list of the finalists and their submissions can be found on collectSPACE.com.

Matt Barrie, the chief executive of Freelancer, highlighted the impressive creativity displayed by the contestants, stating, “These finalists have proven they indeed have ‘the right stuff.'” The winning plush toy will be suspended from a tether inside the Orion spacecraft. As the crew enters the microgravity environment, the toy will float, indicating that they have reached zero gravity.

The 25 winners will receive either $1,225 or an Artemis prize pack, depending on their age. Entries were divided into three categories: K–12 Individual, K-12 Classroom, and Adults. The competition attracted a total of 2,605 submissions from around the world.

Finalists came from various countries, including Canada, Colombia, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Peru, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Within the U.S., entries originated from states such as California, Texas, and Virginia.

Participants were tasked with designing a small plush toy using materials sourced from NASA’s Thermal Blanket Lab. The selected design will be transformed into a tangible zero-gravity indicator for the mission. Barrie emphasized the significance of the finalists’ contributions, stating, “The creativity they have shown is incredible — they should be proud to have their efforts recognized on such a stage and be part of humanity’s ongoing quest to understand the cosmos.”

The Artemis 2 mission marks the first crewed lunar mission since Apollo 17 in 1972. Although the Artemis 2 crew will not land on the moon, they will orbit it before returning to Earth, paving the way for future exploration and missions to our celestial neighbor.