Plush Mascot Rise Visits CSA in Special VIP Tour

The Canadian Space Agency rolled out the red carpet for Rise, NASA’s official zero-gravity indicator traveling with the Artemis II crew. In a playful VIP tour captured on video, the small plush toy first inspected the iconic Canadarm2 robotic arm model at the main entrance before exploring the mission control center and astronaut training facilities. Rise even paused for a quick workout session in the gym and later browsed the CSA library for fresh inspiration. The mascot’s journey highlights the human side of space exploration and the global effort behind Artemis II. Created by young designer Lucas, Rise contains an SD card with the names of millions of participants who joined NASA’s Send Your Name campaign. The four Artemis II astronauts—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen—brought Rise along to signal the transition into weightlessness during their lunar voyage.