The story
Two plush toys. Two missions. One shared dream of the stars.
RISE — designed by 3rd-grader Lucas Ye from California — flew aboard NASA's Artemis II as the crew's zero-gravity indicator. Inspired by the legendary Earthrise photo from Apollo 8, this round little astronaut carried 5.6 million names to the Moon and back. Commander Wiseman loved Rise so much he broke protocol to keep it.
ASTEROID — created by 15-year-old Liv Perrotto, a pediatric cancer warrior — flew on SpaceX's Polaris Dawn mission. A spacesuit-clad Shiba Inu inspired by Elon Musk's dog Floki, Asteroid became the first Shiba to float in zero gravity. Liv's final wish: make Asteroid SpaceX's official mascot. Musk's reply shook the internet.
Both born from the imagination of children. Both defied gravity. Both became symbols of hope that transcend any single mission.