“Copy, moon joy.” By Chris Taylor on April 10, 2026.
NASA began using the phrase “moon joy” on its social media as the Artemis II crew approached the moon this week. The agency shared a definition on its official account, alongside a photo of the crew, resembling a “fourple” in space, leading into a video of their moon joy moments.
“The feeling of intense happiness and excitement that only comes from a mission to the moon,” is how NASA defines moon joy. The phrase appeared during the Artemis II mission when a mission control communicator responded humorously to astronaut Reid Wiseman’s excited reports from Orion.
One commenter on X noted it as a “perfectly understated response” to the astronauts’ excitement. NASA embraced the meme further, mentioning “moon joy” in mission control communications and during the viewing of a solar eclipse only visible to the crew.
The term spread to the International Space Station, with Jessica Meir, ISS Crew-12 mission commander, acknowledging the crew’s shared moon joy. The crew humorously claimed their distance record on Monday, and even the mission mascot, Rise, joined the meme.
Back on Earth, “moon joy” became a symbol of positivity, inspiring #moonjoy as a hashtag amidst a challenging year. How long it lasts remains uncertain, but this week, it was undeniably a global phenomenon.
Elisha Sauers contributed to this report.
Topics: NASA