Reid Wiseman faced a memorable choice after his spacecraft, the Integrity, splashed down. Should he leave behind a small plush moon toy called Rise as per NASA’s guidelines, or take it back home? After 10 days with Rise during the Artemis 2 mission, Wiseman decided to keep it. He shared his decision on X, saying, “I was supposed to leave Rise…but that was not something I was going to do.”
Rise wasn’t just a cute toy; it served as a zero-gravity indicator, designed by a young boy named Lucas Ye from California. This little moon, complete with an Earth-colored cap and over 5 million names inside it, represented dreams of space travel for many around the globe.
Throughout the mission, Rise became a star on social media. Crew members played with it during live streams, capturing hearts worldwide. At one emotional moment, the team suggested naming a moon crater after Wiseman’s late wife, Carroll, who passed away from cancer in 2020. Jeremy Hansen, a crew member, remarked, “We lost a loved one,” touching on the bond shared by the astronauts during the mission.
As for Wiseman, he organized a unique way to bring Rise back. He stuffed it into a dry bag and secured it to his pressure suit. “It’s hard not to love this little guy,” he shared in a post. After landing in the Pacific, Rise was lifted into a helicopter with Wiseman before they reached the USS John P. Murtha.
Even after returning home, Wiseman is keeping Rise close. He secured it to his water bottle, showing how much it means to him. Fans on social media have jokingly dubbed Rise as part of Wiseman’s family, with one user calling it “Reid’s new child, Rise Wiseman.”
This mission is significant, as the Artemis program plans to return humans to the moon and eventually Mars. As space exploration evolves, even small tokens like Rise remind us of the personal stories intertwined in these historic journeys.
For anyone eager to learn more about NASA’s exciting missions, [NASA](https://www.nasa.gov) provides extensive information and updates. Stay updated on the exploration of space and its wonders!
