Over 50 years later, NASA is making another daring attempt as it heads back to the lunar surface. However, this time, the four astronauts won’t be landing on the moon, but will go around it and return — taking them deeper into space than humans have ever gone.But that’s not it. Turns out, they won’t be alone after all. Joining the crew is ‘Rise’, a round white plush toy that will be their ‘celestial buddy’.Rise, the ‘moon mascot,’ is designed by 8-year-old Lucas Ye from California.Here’s a look at plush passengers on space missions over the years:Rise: Designed by 8-year-old Lucas Ye, “Rise” is the official Zero Gravity Indicator for NASA’s historic lunar mission. It is a white plush wearing a hat featuring Earth, with a brim decorated with galaxies and rockets. Rise will tell the crew exactly when they have left the earth’s gravity behind.Baby Yoda: In 2020, SpaceX launched its first operational commercial crew mission with four astronauts on board to the International Space Station. Joining the astronauts was ‘Baby Yoda’. The stuffed toy tagged along as the crew’s Zero Gravity indicator.Snoopy: The beloved mascot for NASA since 1968. It joined NASA as a mascot for the Manned Flight Awareness program (now called the Space Flight Awareness program), which was established in 1963. Snoopy also journeyed to the moon along with the Artemis I crew, serving as the Zero G indicator.Shaun the Sheep, poses with a model of the Orion spacecraft and European service module. Credit: European Space AgencyShaun The Sheep: Along with Snoopy, Shaun the Sheep was also on the Artemis I mission to the moon. Artemis I is the first flight of NASA’s Orion spacecraft with an ESA European Service Module, going around the moon and back. Shaun began a programme of astronaut training with the Orion spacecraft and its European Service Module in 2020, travelling to various locations across Europe and the US to see different aspects of the mission.Tremor the Dinosaur: A blue and pink sequined dinosaur that served as the zero-gravity indicator abroad the SpaceX Crew Dragon Demo-2 mission in 2020.The ‘Zero-G’ indicatorThe tradition of Zero Gravity Indicators (ZGIs) goes way back to 1961, when Yuri Gagarin brought a small doll on Vostok 1. Since then, plush toys have been floating through space, signaling weightlessness and fostering a hint of playfulness to historic missions.