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A young artist from Wales could soon see her creation float around the Moon. Courtney John, a 27-year-old graphic designer from Llanelli, is one of 25 finalists in a NASA contest that could place her toy aboard the Artemis II mission in April 2026. The plush figure, titled “Past, Present, and Future,” is intended to help astronauts spot true weightlessness during the spacecraft’s orbit around the Moon.
John’s toy consists of three linked human-like figures, each representing a different era of space travel. The first figure wears a suit modeled after Apollo 17, the last moon landing in 1972. The second dons a modern Artemis mission suit, reflecting current lunar exploration.
The third is a globe-headed figure, carrying handwritten notes from the Artemis II crew, symbolizing future missions. The toy is designed to float in microgravity, allowing astronauts to see when the spacecraft is in freefall around the Moon.
NASA has used plush toys as zero-gravity indicators before, including a Snoopy doll on Artemis I in 2022. These toys are ideal because they are lightweight, safe, and unlikely to damage equipment if they drift inside the spacecraft. Zero-gravity indicators play an important role in helping astronauts observe when they are truly weightless, which occurs when the pull of gravity is balanced by the spacecraft’s orbital speed.
Artemis II will carry four astronauts on a 10-day journey around the Moon, testing the Orion spacecraft for crewed lunar missions. The crew includes commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen.
Glover will become the first Black astronaut to leave low-Earth orbit, while Koch will be the first woman on a lunar mission. The flight was delayed from late 2025 due to upgrades on Orion’s heat shield and other systems.
The Artemis program aims to establish a long-term human presence on the Moon, with planned bases near the south pole. These bases could access water ice hidden in craters, which can be used for drinking water or split into rocket fuel, reducing the cost of future missions to Mars.
Artemis III, scheduled for 2027, will land the first woman and a person of color on the lunar surface. Microgravity brings unique challenges, including floating fluids, weakened muscles, and difficulty handling objects, making zero-gravity indicators crucial for daily operations and experiments.
John, who has long been fascinated by space, entered the contest run by Freelancer to design a toy that captures the spirit of exploration and unity. Being selected would allow her design to be built into a flight-ready toy for Artemis II, linking generations of astronauts and space enthusiasts through a single, floating figure.
