Pediatric cancer patients recently painted a spacesuit, now in outer space, as part of “The Space Suit Art Project” in the #CuresNow Moonshot Initiative, which is raising awareness of childhood cancer.
The goal of the moonshot initiative is to speed cancer research to create and distribute faster treatments for cancer patients, including pediatric cancer patients, around the world.
The spacesuit, “Courage,” was painted by pediatric cancer patients from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center located in Houston. This project received support from NASA Johnson Space Center, MD Anderson and ILC Dover -- which designs spacesuits -- to make the painting project a reality.
In September, the spacesuit was on the International Space Station, soaring hundreds of miles above Earth. Kate Rubins, NASA flight engineer, wore Courage.
“This project has really inspired me,” Rubins said. “It was an amazing opportunity to get a chance to paint with you guys. I remember this suit when it was just a blank canvas and all of you guys painted on it.”
It was a moving moment for the astronaut, pediatric cancer patients, and cancer researchers and leaders around the world.
“I can tell you that wonderful healing things are coming from these art projects with the people working them,” Stott Cion, director of MD Anderson’s Art in Medicine program, said. “I know for myself, like Kate said, the inspiration that comes from this is ‘gi-normous,’ in the words of my son.”
