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To a sick child, few things can feel as intimidating — and alien — as undergoing cancer care. From the medical terminology used by health care workers to the technology used in treatment, many steps in the process can feel especially foreign to kids and adults alike.  

Fred Hutch Cancer Center in Seattle embraced the otherworldly aspects of cancer treatment by partnering with the one and only NASA to launch a new, space-centric program for cancer patients. Mission: All Systems Go! draws parallels between patients’ experiences during treatment and how astronauts prepare for spaceflight, aiming to help children and their families, as well as adults with cancer, get through a challenging time.  

The program includes an immersive room that mimics a NASA control center, a space-themed playlist to listen to during treatment, a NASA-created graduation certificate and an informational video narrated by an astronaut. Patients also can use a magnet board to track their progress, see posters in program-related exam rooms, and share a Q&A video with family and friends to better understand the connections.  

The program was developed by Fred Hutch’s Proton Therapy staff and members of NASA’s SCaN (Space Communications and Navigation) team after a team member noticed that pediatric patients said the gantry — a machine that spins 360 degrees around a patient to access different treatment angles for treatment — looks like a spaceship.  

“Part of NASA’s mission statement is ‘to improve life on our planet,’” said SCaN Media Specialist Al Feinberg. “Hopefully, Mission: All Systems Go! will help these kids and their families get through a very difficult and challenging time in their lives.”   

To learn more about this program, read this .