{"id":521126,"date":"2026-04-09T09:05:11","date_gmt":"2026-04-09T09:05:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/521126\/"},"modified":"2026-04-09T09:05:11","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T09:05:11","slug":"cat-watching-artemis-ii-moon-mission-gets-a-surprise-message-from-astronauts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/521126\/","title":{"rendered":"Cat Watching Artemis II Moon Mission Gets A Surprise Message From Astronauts"},"content":{"rendered":"

Like millions of people around the world, Mariah Garrett has been glued to NASA\u2019s Artemis II mission<\/a> to the moon \u2014 but she hasn\u2019t been watching alone.<\/p>\n

Her adorable orange cat, Miles, has been equally intrigued by it all.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe typically doesn\u2019t watch TV with me because he\u2019d rather nap,\u201d Mariah told The Dodo. \u201cBut he has (for whatever reason) seemed extra attentive to the NASA Artemis II livestreams.\u201d<\/p>\n

X\/alltooriah<\/a><\/p>\n

The other day, while watching the livestream with Miles on her lap, Mariah snapped a photo showing just how interested her cat was in the mission.<\/p>\n

\u201cTeaching my cat about Artemis II, space and our beloved moon,\u201d Mariah wrote in a post<\/a> while sharing the image.<\/p>\n

Little could she have guessed what would happen next.<\/p>\n

Shortly after posting the image and caption to X, Mariah got a message in return \u2014 evidently from the astronauts themselves, some 250,000 miles away.<\/p>\n

And it couldn\u2019t have been sweeter:<\/p>\n

\u201cTell your cat the Artemis II crew said pspsps,\u201d was the response.<\/p>\n

\u201cI totally did not expect NASA to reply!\u201d Mariah said. \u201cIt was quite the surprise! But a very nice one, since it\u2019s such a special historical event! It felt nice to play a tiny part in it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Miles rarely leaves the house, but his adorable influence has traveled well beyond the planet he calls home.<\/p>\n

X\/alltooriah<\/a><\/p>\n

Though astronauts loving their own pets is nothing new<\/a> (Artemis II crew member Christina Koch is a well-known dog lover<\/a>), Miles may very well be the first outsider cat to garner a mention from beyond Earth\u2019s atmosphere.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf that is the first shoutout to a cat from space, then I have peaked in life as a cat mom, and I am honored,\u201d Mariah said, adding that Miles may be open to new opportunities if NASA were ever to call.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy friends and family are making jokes about my silly cat going to space on the next Artemis mission,\u201d Mariah said. \u201cHe\u2019s a very cuddly and friendly cat, so he\u2019d make a great space travel companion.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"This<\/a>This Dog-Loving Astronaut Wins The Universe With His Official\u00a0Portrait<\/a>