Like countless others, Mariah Garrett has been following NASA’s Artemis II moon mission closely — and she’s had an unexpectedly cute viewing partner beside her.
Her orange cat, Miles, seems just as fascinated by the broadcasts.
Mariah said Miles usually has no interest in watching television and would much rather sleep, but for some reason he has been unusually focused on the Artemis II livestreams.
While the two were watching together recently, with Miles sitting on her lap, Mariah took a photo that perfectly captured his intense interest in the mission. She posted it online with a playful note saying she was teaching her cat about Artemis II, outer space, and the moon.
She had no idea the post was about to get an unforgettable response.
Not long after sharing it on X, Mariah received a reply that appeared to come from the astronauts themselves, far from Earth — and it was as charming as her original post.
The message told her to let her cat know that the Artemis II crew said “pspsps.”
Mariah said she never expected NASA to answer and was genuinely surprised. She added that it felt especially meaningful because the mission is such a major historic moment, and being acknowledged in even a small way made the experience even more special.
Miles may be a homebody, but his moment of fame reached far beyond his usual surroundings.
Mariah pointed out that while astronauts being devoted pet owners is nothing unusual — Artemis II astronaut Christina Koch is known for loving dogs — Miles might just be the first cat outside the mission team to get a shoutout from space.
She joked that if this really was the first feline recognition from beyond Earth, then she had reached the peak of life as a cat mom.
And as for the future, Mariah said her friends and family have already started teasing her about Miles joining a future Artemis mission. Given how affectionate and social he is, she thinks he might actually make a pretty good companion for space travel.