NASA has whittled a global field of more than 2,600 entries down to 25 finalists in its public competition to design the zero-gravity indicator—dubbed the Moon Mascot—for the Artemis II mission. The plush toy will float inside the Orion spacecraft to signal when the crew has reached microgravity, offering a light-hearted yet practical cue during the first crewed flight of the Artemis programme. The shortlisted designs, submitted by participants in ten countries, range from mythological figures to lunar-themed animals. Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman said the mascot will highlight “the human element” aboard a capsule otherwise packed with life-support hardware. Wiseman and fellow crew members Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen will choose the winning concept, which NASA’s Thermal Blanket Lab will manufacture and tether inside Orion ahead of launch. Scheduled for next year, Artemis II aims to carry the four astronauts on an approximately 10-day journey around the Moon and back, marking the first human voyage beyond low-Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972. The mission is intended to pave the way for a crewed lunar landing under Artemis III and, ultimately, future expeditions to Mars.