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Child's Toy, Moon Dust Fly on Artemis II
4 Apr
Summary
- An Apollo 18 flag is aboard the Artemis II spacecraft.
- Bags of soil from 'moon trees' are part of the mission.
- A child's plush toy serves as a zero-gravity indicator.
NASA's Artemis II mission is currently circling the moon, carrying a variety of symbolic and scientific items. Among these is an American flag originally intended for the Apollo 18 mission, signifying a renewed focus on lunar exploration and honoring past pioneers. The flight kit also includes 10 bags of soil from trees whose seeds previously flew on the Artemis I mission, completing a cycle from space to Earth and back again.
Continuing a tradition, seeds from the Canadian Space Agency are also onboard, with Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen being the first non-American on a deep space flight. A swatch of fabric from the Wright brothers' Flyer is present, commemorating the birth of flight, alongside a photo negative from the 1964 Ranger 7 probe. A unique science experiment, AVATAR, is also underway, testing live astronaut tissue samples to study the effects of deep space radiation and microgravity on blood cell development.
A plush toy designed by an eight-year-old child, named Rise, serves as the mission's zero-gravity indicator. This toy, which represents the iconic Earthrise image, floats to signal when the spacecraft reaches microgravity. The Artemis II mission's packed flight kit prioritizes essential life-support systems for the four-person crew during their 10-day journey.
