NASA Artemis II moon mascot goes viral before flyby, get yours here

• NASA's Artemis II mission has an official moon mascot named RISE, a plushie designed by an 8-year-old.
• The RISE design was inspired by the "Earthrise" photo from the Apollo 8 mission.
• The Artemis II crew is scheduled to make its closest approach to the moon at 7:02 p.m. ET.

As NASA returns to the moon after 50+ years, there's also an official moon mascot for the Artemis II mission: RISE.

RISE, an adorable plushie and newly coined "moon mascot," designed by 8-year-old Lucas Ye from California, has been going viral on social media.

That's right, RISE has joined the astronauts for NASA's 2026 moon mission. The design was inspired by the iconic "Earthrise" moment from the Apollo 8 mission, featuring the moon wearing an Earth cap. It was selected from over 2,600 submissions from around the world.

So, if you're looking to snag your own version of RISE, we found some similar Celestial Buddies available to buy today.

Want to buy the viral NASA Rise moon plushie for Artemis II mission? We found similar options you can order today

Celestial Buddies Moon Buddy

Learn more about the moon's orbit with this Moon Buddy. Shop at Target

Celestial Buddies Little Earth Buddy

This Earth Buddy joined the SpaceX Dragon crew and spent over 500 days aboard the International Space Station! $31.99 at Target

Artemis 2 moon flyby time, schedule

NASA released the following timeline for today's lunar flyby events:

• NASA's coverage of the lunar flyby begins Monday, April 6 at 1 p.m. ET and continues through 9:45 p.m. ET.
• At 1:30 p.m. ET, NASA will host a conversation between the crew and the science officer in NASA's Mission Control Center at Johnson Space Center in Houston.
• At 1:56 p.m. ET, the Artemis II crew is expected to surpass the record, previously set by the Apollo 13 crew in 1970, for farthest humans have ever traveled from Earth.
• At 2:45 p.m. ET, the seven-hour lunar observation period begins; with the crew being able to see both the near and far sides of the moon.
• At 6:44 p.m. ET, mission control expects to temporarily lose communication with the Artemis II crew. This is due to Orion passing behind the moon.
• At 7:02 p.m. ET, the astronauts will make their closest approach to the moon. The crew will reach their farthest point from Earth at 7:07 p.m. ET.
• At 7:25 p.m. ET, NASA's Mission Control Center should re-acquire communication.
• At 8:35 p.m., Orion enters period with moon eclipsing the sun until 9:32 p.m. ET.
• At 9:20 p.m., the moon flyby period wraps up and the crew will begin transferring images back to the ground.

What time will Artemis 2 reach the moon?

According to NASA's schedule, Artemis II will reach the moon around 2:45 p.m. ET with their closest approach to the moon around 7:07 p.m. ET.

Where can I watch Artemis 2 moon flyby?

NASA's live coverage will start at 1 p.m. ET. You can watch on USA TODAY's YouTube Channel below.

Where is Artemis II now?

Want to track the Artemis II crew as they journey around the moon? NASA also offers a live Artemis II tracker on its website and mobile app.