NASA Art Project Has Children With Cancer Decorate Spacesuits

A special art project to raise awareness about pairing art with medicine has landed in space.

NASA flight engineer Kate Rubins, retired astronaut Nicole Stott, and other personnel have lent their spacesuits to the artistic talents of several childhood cancer patients at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Three of the decorated suits dubbed “Hope,” “Courage,” and “Unity” were created during the project.

Rubins modeled the hand-painted Courage suit during a 20-minute Earth to space chat. Joining the conversation were astronauts living and working on the international space station and some of the cancer patients. It was broadcast live on NASA television on September 16. Rubins, who has a degree in cancer biology answered questions to “raise awareness about the benefits of pairing art with medicine.”

With brain cancer recently revealed as the leading childhood cancer killer, this program is an inspirational wake-up call. According to the report brain surgery is difficult and sometimes impossible, depending on where the tumor is located in the brain. In addition, radiation treatment can damage the development of a child’s brain.

Thanks to NASA, children with cancer can beam with pride at their spacesuit creations.