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Artemis 2 astronaut Christina Koch smiles with the zero-gravity indicator “Rise” in an Orion spacecraft selfie. (Image credit: NASA)<\/p>\n
Artemis 2<\/a> astronaut Christina Koch starred in an out-of-this-world selfie with the zero-gravity indicator “Rise” on April 4, captured from a camera mounted on a solar panel as the crew were half way to the moon ahead of their historic lunar flyby<\/a>.<\/p>\n What is it?<\/p>\n Koch can be seen smiling alongside Rise in an illuminated Orion viewport, with the spacecraft’s service module bathed in bright sunlight on Flight Day 4<\/a> of their 10-day lunar mission.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The NASA photo<\/a> was captured using a modified GoPro camera mounted on the end of a 7-meter-long (23-foot) solar panel \u2014 one of four such “wings” that power the Orion spacecraft<\/a> by transforming sunlight into usable electricity.<\/p>\n Article continues below <\/p>\n You may like<\/p>\n Why is it incredible?<\/p>\n Zero-g indicators are traditionally flown on space missions as both a mascot and a simple way for astronauts to confirm they have reached microgravity.<\/p>\n NASA held an open competition to design the Artemis 2 zero-g indicator, receiving more than 2,600 entries from over 50 countries. The winning design from Californian 3rd grader Lucas Ye was inspired by astronaut Bill Anders’ iconic Apollo 8<\/a> “Earthrise” photo and features a smiling moon-like head and Earth-themed cap.<\/p>\n \n The Artemis 2 astronauts pose for a photograph alongside their zero gravity indicator on March 27, 2026 after arriving at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. (Image credit: NASA\/John Kraus)<\/p>\n Safely tucked within the adorable mascot is a tiny SD card bearing the names of the 5,647,889 people who applied for an Artemis 2 “boarding pass”<\/a>. Artemis 2 astronauts Reid Wiseman<\/a>, Victor Glover<\/a>, Christina Koch<\/a> and Jeremy Hansen<\/a> are due to return to Earth on April 10, enduring a fiery atmospheric re-entry before finally splashing down off the coast of San Diego to bring an end to their 10-day space odyssey.<\/p>\n Want to know more? Then be sure to keep up to date with the latest news with our Artemis 2 liveblog<\/a> and read up on NASA’s efforts to establish a sustainable presence on the moon<\/a> with our Artemis program explainer<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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