It’s An Amazing World Of Discovery Up Here: NASA Kate Rubins To MD Anderson Children

NASA Flight Engineer Kate Rubins talked to cancer kid patients at the MD Anderson Cancer Center today about space, what does it take to become an astronaut and working hard to pursue one’s dreams.

Rubins, who is based at the International Space Station, was wearing the astronaut suit that several children patients co-designed and painted with her within the Space Suit Art Project, an MD Anderson and NASA partnership to help kids with cancer cope through art and technology. September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

Johnson Space Center director Ellen Ochoa greeted Rubins from Houston, surrounded by three of the children who participated in the space suit art project and their families, in addition to MD Anderson doctors and others.

The kids, already familiar with Rubins through their experience creating the astronaut suit along with her, awaited expectantly their turn to pick the phone and talk to the flight engineer, who was donning their piece of art and had a big smile on her face as she greeted them one by one.

Each of them, introduced by their first name only, were visibly excited and had a question ready.

Tatiana, the youngest, asked Rubins if she had to work a lot to become an astronaut.

” We need to learn a whole lot of things”, Rubins said as she described the many disciplines that she had to learn to become a flight engineer. And sometimes is a little bit hard, she added,” but that makes it even more interesting”.

“That’s kind of reassuring” to know that others also have to work a lot to achieve things, Tatiana replied as she explained that she has projects of her own in mind.

As the kids took turns to talk to her, Rubins had special greetings for each of them, including Jacob, whom she saluted.

Jacob asked Rubins what does it take to become an astronaut and told her that he is interested in becoming a researcher.

“You need to be curious and motivated for discovery and for research. There’s so much to discover up here”, the astronaut responded. “It you are curious about research is an amazing world of discovery up here.”

The astronaut wrapped up with a very special message for the kids. “This project has really inspired me”, she said . “It’s been an amazing opportunity to paint with you guys.”