It wouldn’t be an important moment in nerd history if some fandom fun wasn’t in the room. Over the past days of the Artemis II moon mission, Sailor Moon fans have delightedly spotted an Artemis plush hanging out in the Artemis II Mission Control Center. And we’re pleased to report that Sailor Moon’s guardian cat, Artemis, was still present and watching over the proceedings as the four astronauts of Artemis II officially traveled farther from Earth than any humans in history—breaking the record set by Apollo 13 in 1970. Yes, Sailor Moon is forever a part of this crucial moment in space history, and we love it.
If you tune in to the NASA live-stream of Artemis II’s lunar flyover, that’s the part where they’ll finally see the moon clearly, and even travel behind it, to the dark side of the moon, you’ll be able to glimpse Sailor Moon‘s Artemis sitting behind the main line of scientists and mission control specialists in the Artemis Mission Control room. We love this adorable cat plush with a crescent moon decorating her forehead. Sadly, her counterpart, Luna, the sassy black cat, is nowhere to be found.
If you ask us, everything is better with some fandom. And there’s no better fandom to have in the room when going to the moon than Sailor Moon. The beloved manga/anime series tells the tale of a teenage girl who is tasked with protecting the Earth and given special moon powers to do so. She, along with her team of Sailor Scouts, all of whom draw their powers from a specific planet, fight evil, build bonds of friendship, and generally kick ass in style.
If you’d like to own your own version of this Sailor Moon Artemis plush, you can snag one of your own today to commemorate this advent of space travel.
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