"Artemis" Moon Mission with a Mascot from Germany? - Italian Designer Giulia Bona Reaches NASA's Zero-Gravity Indicator Finals for Artemis 2

A zero-gravity indicator designed by Giulia Bona has reached the final stage of NASA's competition. The winning entry will be picked by the Artemis 2 crew, who are set to become the first humans near the Moon since 1972. Bona's concept stands out for its imaginative approach to weightlessness.

The competition drew over 2,600 submissions from around the world. Bona's design, featuring a tiny astronaut perched on the shoulder of a giant named Orion, was selected as one of 25 finalists. The other contenders hail from countries including the US, Canada, Japan, and the UK.

Zero-gravity indicators have a long history, dating back to Yuri Gagarin's 1961 flight. For Artemis 2—a lunar flyby mission planned for early 2026—the chosen design will float inside the spacecraft to signal the moment of weightlessness. The decision now rests with the mission's crew: Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen. Bona, a Berlin-based freelance science communicator, has always been captivated by space. Her design's playful take on the theme helped it advance to the final round.

The winning indicator will accompany the Artemis 2 astronauts on their historic journey. Scheduled for the first half of 2026, the mission marks humanity's return to the Moon's vicinity after more than five decades. Bona's creation, if selected, will become a small but symbolic part of the mission.