New Delhi, April 1 -- As anticipation builds worldwide for the Artemis II mission - set to mark humanity's first crewed journey to the Moon in more than 50 years - focus isn't just on the astronauts. Alongside the crew aboard NASA's Orion spacecraft will be an unusual companion: a soft toy named "Rise," tasked with a crucial role in the mission.

Beyond the four-member crew, "Rise," a small white plush figure, will travel inside the spacecraft. Its purpose is functional - it will float once the spacecraft enters microgravity, signalling to astronauts that they have moved beyond Earth's gravitational pull.

In a surprising twist, the zero-gravity indicator wasn't developed by seasoned engineers. Instead, it was imagined and stitched togeth...