"Rise" Selected as NASA Artemis II Moon Mascot

Rhea-AI Summary

Freelancer (FRLCY) announced that Lucas Ye's plush design "Rise" was chosen as the Zero Gravity Indicator (Moon Mascot) for NASA's Artemis II crew. The selection came from over 2,600 entries across 50+ countries; a micro SD with registrants' names will ride inside Rise for the April 1, 2026 launch window.

The contest was run by Freelancer as part of its NASA partnership; Freelancer notes its platform has more than 87 million users and was a 2025 awardee of the NASA Open Innovation Services 3 contract.

A second grader's plushie is going to the Moon!

ORLANDO, FL / ACCESS Newswire / March 27, 2026 / Freelancer (ASX:FLN)(OTCQX:FLNCF), the world's largest freelancing and crowdsourcing marketplace, today congratulates Lucas Ye of Mountain View, California, whose design "Rise" has been chosen by the crew of NASA's Artemis II mission as their Zero Gravity Indicator.

The announcement was made by Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman and his fellow team members at Kennedy Space Center in Florida today, ahead of a launch window that opens on 1 April 2026. The crew personally participated in selecting their stowaway from a shortlist of 25 finalists.

"Rise" - a round white plush with a hat featuring the Earth and a galaxy-and-rockets brim - was inspired by the iconic Earthrise photograph taken during Apollo 8, a moment Koch noted mirrors the spirit of the Artemis II mission itself.

The design was selected from more than 2,600 entries submitted across more than 50 countries through the Moon Mascot: NASA Artemis II ZGI Design Challenge, a contest facilitated by Freelancer on behalf of NASA. Entries came from adults, K-12 classrooms, and individual students.

The five finalist designs were:

• "Big Steps of Little Octopus," Anzhelika Iudakova, Finland

• "Corey the Explorer," Daniela Colina, Peru

• "Creation Mythos," Johanna Beck, McPherson, Kansas

• "Lepus the Moon Rabbit," Oakville Trafalgar High School, Canada

• "Rise," Lucas Ye, Mountain View, California (winner)

Wiseman also revealed that a micro SD card containing the names of everyone who registered for the challenge will be stored inside Rise for the flight.

Trisha Epp, Director of Innovation at Freelancer and head of its NASA partnership programs, said: "The judging panel had a really tough time with this one. You'd open a submission, and it'd be from a student in Finland, or a science storyteller in Germany, or a child in Texas who clearly spent weeks getting every detail right. Every entry brought something personal to it - you could tell how much this meant to people. It was a privilege to see that kind of passion and creativity come through."

"On behalf of everyone at Freelancer, congratulations to the winner - what an incredible achievement. Your design is literally going to space, which is not a sentence most people get to say. Freelancer is delighted to work alongside NASA on this and so many other projects where we're putting our platform - more than 87 million users strong - to work finding solutions to some of NASA's trickiest problems. The 'Moon Mascot' challenge is a beautiful example of what that looks like."

The Moon Mascot: NASA Artemis II ZGI Design Challenge is one of dozens of projects Freelancer has facilitated on behalf of NASA. In June 2025, Freelancer was one of 25 companies awarded the NASA Open Innovation Services 3 contract.

All businesses are now able to take advantage of the same crowdsourcing problem-solving platform that NASA has used to effectively, via the Moonshot Innovation Program: https://www.freelancer.com/innovation

For more information, contact:

Media Inquiries
Brent O'Halloran
Director of Communications
press@freelancer.com | +1 (650) 442 3334

SOURCE: Freelancer

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

FAQ

What is the NASA Artemis II Moon Mascot chosen by Freelancer (FRLCY) for April 2026?

The Moon Mascot is "Rise," a round white plush with an Earth-and-galaxy hat chosen by the Artemis II crew. According to the company, Rise was selected from over 2,600 entries submitted by competitors in 50+ countries.

How was the winner for the Moon Mascot contest announced for Freelancer (FRLCY)?

The Artemis II commander and crew announced the winner at Kennedy Space Center ahead of the April 1, 2026 launch window. According to the company, the crew personally selected Rise from a shortlist of five finalists.

Who created the winning Moon Mascot design for Freelancer (FRLCY) and where are they from?

The winning design "Rise" was created by Lucas Ye of Mountain View, California. According to the company, Ye's design was picked from entries including students, classrooms, and international contributors.

Will the Moon Mascot carry anything special on Artemis II for Freelancer (FRLCY)?

Yes. A micro SD card containing the names of everyone who registered for the design challenge will be stored inside Rise for the flight. According to the company, the crew confirmed the micro SD will accompany the plush on Artemis II.

How many entries and countries participated in Freelancer's Moon Mascot contest (FRLCY)?

The design challenge drew more than 2,600 entries from over 50 countries, including K-12 classrooms and individual students. According to the company, entries ranged from adults to school groups across multiple continents.

What is Freelancer's role with NASA and how does it relate to the Moon Mascot (FRLCY)?

Freelancer facilitated the Moon Mascot design challenge as part of its NASA partnership and innovation programs. According to the company, Freelancer was named among awardees of the NASA Open Innovation Services 3 contract in June 2025.