Fans find 'Sailor Moon' tribute in NASA Artemis II mission control room

NASA Artemis II mission includes 'Sailor Moon' reference spotted by fans in control room footage

NASA’s Artemis II mission, which aims to send humans towards the Moon for the first time in over 50 years, has drawn unexpected attention from anime fans after a subtle reference to Sailor Moon was spotted in mission control.

Recent footage from inside the control room circulated widely on social media, showing a small plush figure of Artemis, the white cat character from the Sailor Moon series, placed on a desk. The scene also included a staff member wearing a Sailor Moon-themed lanyard featuring protagonist Usagi Tsukino.

The discovery quickly prompted reactions from viewers online, with fans linking the imagery to the themes of the anime, which centres on planetary guardians and lunar symbolism.

Sailor Moon follows Usagi Tsukino and a group of characters whose powers are connected to celestial bodies, including the Moon, while Artemis serves as a guide within the story.

Some fans suggested that the presence of the character within NASA’s workspace reflects the influence of popular culture on a new generation of scientists and engineers.

One social media user wrote, “Who do you think is at NASA now? Those kids who grew up with Sailor Moon and Gundam on Toonami,” while another commented on the connection between the Artemis programme and the character’s name.

NASA’s Artemis programme itself is named after the Greek goddess of the Moon and twin sister of Apollo, referencing the earlier Apollo missions that last sent humans to the lunar surface in 1972.

Artemis II is planned as a crewed mission that will travel beyond low Earth orbit and conduct a lunar flyby.