An eight-year-old from Mountain View just achieved something most of us will never accomplish: designing an official NASA artifact that’s literally going to space. Lucas Ye won NASA’s ‘Moon Mascot’ Challenge in partnership with Freelancer, a global design platform, and his creation, a plush toy called “Rise”, just launched aboard the Artemis II spacecraft headed to the moon.

Ye didn’t just sketch out an idea and call it a day. He actually built a physical prototype with his family, using a dryer ball to form Rise’s head. That dedication paid off when his design beat out over 2,600 international contestants, including plenty of adults who probably thought they had the advantage.

So what makes Rise so special? The toy is packed with space history references that are honestly pretty fire. It’s got two spacecraft on its visor representing the Apollo and Artemis programs, stars arranged to match the Orion constellation (same name as the Artemis craft), and a footprint on the back that mirrors Neil Armstrong’s boot print from Apollo 11. The design also pays homage to William Anders’ iconic Earthrise photograph from the Apollo 8 mission. But here’s the really wild part: Rise carries a small zippered pocket with a data chip containing the names of over 5.6 million people who signed up to be part of the mission.

“This little guy, Rise, really resonated with us”, said Christina Koch, one of the Artemis II astronauts. And honestly, it’s easy to see why.

The tradition of bringing floating mascots on space missions dates back decades. Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin brought a small doll aboard his historic 1961 flight to signal when he reached microgravity. Since then, astronauts have brought everything from plush R2-D2s to glittery dinosaurs named Tremor. The practice serves as a practical zero-gravity indicator for the crew, but it’s also become a beautiful way to carry human creativity and connection into space.

The contest drew submissions from over 50 countries and was open to all ages, with top designs coming from Finland, Peru, Kansas, and Canada. While most entrants just submitted sketches, Ye’s hands-on approach gave him a serious edge.

Ye traveled to Florida with his family to watch the launch Wednesday, and he’s already looking ahead. “I would probably like to become an engineer at NASA”, he told the New York Times. “When I grow up, I’ll probably be designing a space station around Mars or something”. That’s the kind of energy we love to see.

NASA holds the rights to Rise, and while Popular Science is predicting the space-themed design could inspire a whole line of merchandise, NASA hasn’t announced any licensing plans yet. But given how adorable this little guy is, don’t be surprised if Rise becomes the next must-have collectible.