118: The Cosmic Odyssey Scholarship with Niko Blanks

How is one person working to make space travel accessible to everyone?

One scholarship at a time, according to Niko Blanks.

"For me, sending pediatric cancer patients and their families to Space Camp is all about inspiring them to know that they can achieve their dreams no matter what hurdles they face."

Niko's a senior spaceflight operations student looking to accomplish a big goal. And he's just the person to make it happen- he's already overcome big obstacles in his life at an early age. With his new, Cosmic Odyssey Scholarship, Niko is helping to send pediatric cancer patients and their families to Space Camp. You can help send these patients and their families, too- the application process for the summer of 2021 is open, and the fundraising for this scholarship just kicked off in a BIG way during Yuri's Night! Space Camp, Space Kind, Space Flight Operations and space travel- it's all right here in this conversation with the amazing and aspiring Niko Blanks.

About the scholarship: https://www.hatcherfoundation.org/spacecamp

About Yuri's Night and where to donate! https://yurisnight.net/scholarship/

About Niko! Niko Blanks is from Chattanooga, TN and is currently a senior at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University studying Spaceflight Operations. Niko has interned as a mechanical engineer on the NASA Sounding Rocket Operations Contract and has been a part of multiple NASA engineering design challenges for Artemis EVA operations. As the Crew Engineer of the Sensoria M3 Mission, Niko conducted human factors and EVA operations research at HI-SEAS in December 2020. Most recently, Niko is partnering with the Yuri's Night Foundation and the Austin Hatcher Foundation for Pediatric Cancer to start the Cosmic Odyssey Scholarship. Cosmic Odyssey is dedicated to inspiring pediatric cancer survivors by providing them with scholarships to attend SpaceCamp in Huntsville, Alabama. As a brain cancer survivor, Niko's ultimate goal is to make space travel accessible to everyone and one day set foot on the Moon and Mars himself.

Follow Niko on Insta: @nikoinspace

About the Austin Hatcher Foundation https://www.hatcherfoundation.org/spacecamp

The Austin Hatcher Foundation is partnering with the Yuri's Night to help send pediatric cancer survivors to space camp! With the help of former Austin Hatcher Foundation patient, Niko Blanks, the foundation will be offering our patients and families the opportunity to apply for a scholarship for space camp!

Niko Blanks was treated as a child at the Austin Hatcher Foundation for a Grade II Fibrillary Astrocytoma. Following his diagnosis and treatment, Niko decided he wanted to give back in any way he could to children experiencing the same trials he had to overcome. Niko now a student studying Spaceflight Operations and wants to educate those going through the difficulties that come with pediatric cancer on the thing that he feels truly changed his life. This is where the idea for the Cosmic Odyssey Space Camp Scholarship Program was born!

Find out more about Space Kind training, and join the program in May: https://www.spacekind.org

And don't forget- Join me at the 1st Annual Analog Astronaut Conference! http://www.analogastronaut.com/