Artemis II moon launch sparks viral internet moments in 2026

A compilation of the most shared online events of the first half of 2026 highlights NASA’s Artemis II mission, the first crewed lunar loop in more than five decades. The flight carried Christina Koch, the first woman, and Victor Glover, the first Black astronaut, to travel beyond low‑Earth orbit, spawning the "moon joy" meme that flooded social media. Other widely circulated moments include a baby macaque paired with an IKEA‑style plush toy, high‑tech anti‑ICE protests, and American figure‑skater Alysa Liu’s gold‑medal performance at the Milan Winter Olympics, which resonated with millions of net‑users. The list illustrates how disparate cultural, scientific and political events simultaneously captured global online attention.