Open main menu
Home
Random
Recent changes
Special pages
Community portal
Preferences
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Incubator escapee wiki
Search
User menu
Talk
Dark mode
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Editing
Cosmosphere
Warning:
You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you
log in
or
create an account
, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.
Anti-spam check. Do
not
fill this in!
{{Short description|Space museum in Hutchinson, Kansas, US}} {{for|the album by Jape|Cosmosphere (album)}} {{Infobox museum |name = Cosmosphere |image = Kansas Cosmosphere 2003.jpg |caption = Main entrance (2003) |map_type = Kansas#USA |coordinates = {{coord|38.065304|N|97.921344|W|format=dms|type:landmark_region:US-KS|display=inline,title}} |established = {{start date and age|1962}} |location = 1100 North Plum Street<br/>[[Hutchinson, Kansas|Hutchinson]], [[Kansas|KS]] 67501 USA |type = Space Museum |collection = 15,000 |visitors = 150,000 / year |ceo = Jim Remar |website = {{URL|https://cosmo.org/|cosmo.org}} }} [[File:Hutchinson Community College - Kansas Cosmosphere Hutchinson Kansas 9-14-2014.JPG|thumb|250px|Aerial view of Kansas Cosmosphere and [[Hutchinson Community College]] (2014)]] '''Cosmosphere''' is an international science education center and space museum in [[Hutchinson, Kansas]], United States, located on the northeast corner of Plum Street and 11th Avenue, next to the [[Hutchinson Community College]]. It was previously known as the '''Kansas Cosmosphere'''. The museum houses over 13,000 [[spaceflight]] artifacts—the largest combined collection of US and Russian [[spaceflight]] artifacts in the world, and is home to various space educational programs. ==Facilities== The Cosmosphere grew from a [[planetarium]] established on the [[Kansas State Fair]]grounds in 1962. The {{convert|105000|sqft|m2|adj=on}} facility houses the largest collection of Russian space artifacts outside of [[Moscow]], and a collection of US space artifacts second only to the [[National Air and Space Museum]] in [[Washington, D.C.]]<ref>cosmo.org</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.herald-online.com/200910285556/news/community-news/enjoying-a-weekend-of-space-exploration-on-the-plains.html |title=Louisburg Herald |publisher=Herald-online.com |date=2012-02-15 |accessdate=2012-02-21}}</ref> The Cosmosphere has five venues: the Hall of Space Museum, the Justice Planetarium, the Carey Digital Dome Theater, [[Robert H. Goddard|Dr. Goddard's]] Lab (an explosive live science presentation on the history of rocketry) and CosmoKids, an interactive STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) area. The Cosmosphere also hosts summer camps for all ages, and co-curricular applied STEAM education programs for field trips, groups, and scouts that meet Next Generation Science Standards and Common Core, focused on college and career readiness. The Cosmosphere is the only [[Smithsonian Institution|Smithsonian]] affiliate museum in Kansas.<ref>{{cite web|last=Rothschild |first=Scott |url=http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2008/jan/30/8_wonders_kansas_revealed/ |title=8 Wonders of Kansas revealed / LJWorld.com |publisher=.ljworld.com |date=2008-01-30 |accessdate=2012-02-21}}</ref> In 2012, the Carey Digital Dome Theater upgraded from [[IMAX]] to 4K digital projection system.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.inparkmagazine.com/former-cosmosphere-imax-becomes-single-projector-digital-dome-theater/ |title=Former Cosmosphere IMAX Becomes Single Projector Digital Dome Theater|author=Joe Kleiman|publisher=In Park Magazine|date=October 9, 2012|access-date=April 1, 2023}}</ref> In 2015, the Justice Planetarium underwent a complete renovation, transitioning from an optical starball projection system to the Spitz Sci-Dome XD digital projection system.<ref>[http://www.kake.com/home/headlines/Cosmospheres-planetarium-to-undergo-complete-renovation-290326491.html Cosmosphere's planetarium to undergo complete renovation; KAKE tv; January 30, 2015.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151019183446/http://www.kake.com/home/headlines/Cosmospheres-planetarium-to-undergo-complete-renovation-290326491.html |date=October 19, 2015 }}</ref> In 2021, three of the museum's oldest galleries began renovations: the German Gallery, the Redstone and Sputnik Gallery, and the Kennedy Theater. These galleries opened during the late 1990s. They will be repainted, and their exhibits will receive new graphics and new sound.<ref>[https://www.hutchnews.com/story/news/2021/08/24/kansas-space-museum-cosmosphere-renovates-three-galleries-hutchinson/8227027002/ Kansas' premier space museum, the Cosmosphere, gets a major facelift; The Hutchinson News; August 24, 2021]</ref> ===Restoration and replication=== The Cosmosphere's SpaceWorks division has restored flown U.S. spacecraft for museums and exhibits across the globe, including artifacts that are part of the collection of the [[Smithsonian Institution]] [[National Air and Space Museum]].<ref>[http://www.cosmo.org/restore.htm Cosmosphere Restoration] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151218093113/http://www.cosmo.org/restore.htm |date=2015-12-18 }}</ref> Two examples of this work are the [[Apollo 13]] Command Module ''Odyssey'', and the ''[[Liberty Bell 7]]'' – both on display at the Cosmosphere. The Cosmosphere built roughly 80% of the artifacts and props for the movie ''[[Apollo 13 (film)|Apollo 13]]'' and of the replicated spacecraft hardware seen in ''[[Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D]]''; and the TV mini-series ''[[From the Earth to the Moon (miniseries)|From the Earth to the Moon]].''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://familyrvingmag.com/2002/08/01/the-kansas-cosmosphere-and-space-center/|title=The Kansas Cosmosphere And Space Center|date=August 1, 2002|author=Bill Montfort |publisher=FamilyRVing |access-date=April 1, 2023}}</ref> ==Collection== [[File:Apollo13 CommandModule Kansas.JPG|thumb|right|[[Apollo 13]] command module on display (2010)]] [[File:Apollo 13 control.jpg|thumb|Interior view of the Apollo 13 capsule (2009)]] [[Image:2006LibertyBell7Display.JPG|thumb|right|''[[Mercury-Redstone 4|Liberty Bell 7]]'' on display (2006)]] [[File:Gemini X Capsule.jpg|thumb|The [[Gemini 10]] space capsule on display]] [[File:Kansas Cosmosphere V2 2013.JPG|thumb|right|German [[V-2 rocket]] on display (2013)]] [[File:Kansas Cosmosphere Sputnik 1 2008.jpg|thumb|right|Flight-ready backup of Soviet [[Sputnik 1]] on display (2008)]] [[File:Kansas Cosmosphere Right Stuff Glamorous Glennis Replica 2013.JPG|thumb|A replica of the [[Bell X-1]] ''Glamorous Glennis'', used in the 1983 film ''[[The Right Stuff (film)|The Right Stuff]]'']] Flown items included in the Cosmosphere's collection are a [[Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird]], the ''Liberty Bell 7'' Mercury spacecraft, the [[Gemini 10]] space capsule, and the [[Apollo command module|Command Module ''Odyssey'']] from [[Apollo 13]]. Additionally, authentic [[Mercury-Redstone Launch Vehicle|Redstone]] and [[Titan II]] launch vehicles used in the Mercury and Gemini programs flank the building's exterior.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2199&dat=19890426&id=n04yAAAAIBAJ&sjid=W-YFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4825,6490806 ''Kansas Cosmosphere gets ICBM built in 1960s''; ''Lawrence Journal World''; April 26, 1989.]</ref> A prized item on display is a [[Moon rock]] from [[Apollo 11]], the first crewed mission to land on the Moon. Every artifact on display at the Cosmosphere is either an actual flown artifact, a "flight-ready backup" (identical to the item actually flown), an engineering model, or a historically accurate replica. The Cosmosphere museum begins with the earliest experiments in rocketry during the [[World War II]] era, explores through the [[Space Race]] and [[Cold War]], and continues through modern times with the [[Space Shuttle]] and [[International Space Station]], as well as [[SpaceShipOne]] and [[commercial spaceflight]]. Subset of notable items on display: ===Germany=== :;World War II era :* [[V-1 flying bomb]] missile (authentic, restored) :* [[V-2 rocket]] (authentic, restored) :* [[Walter HWK 109-509]] rocket engine from a [[Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet]] :;Cold War era :* Section of the [[Berlin Wall]] – last section removed (authentic) ===Russia / Soviet Union / USSR=== :;Early satellites :* [[Sputnik 1]] (flight-ready backup)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/3585 |title=Hutchinson, KS - Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center |publisher=Roadsideamerica.com |date= |accessdate=2012-02-21}}</ref> :* [[Sputnik 2]] (engineering model) :;Early space programs :* [[Vostok (spacecraft)|Vostok]] space capsule (competitor against Mercury program) :* [[Voskhod 2]] space capsule (competitor against the Gemini program) :;Space program joint venture with the United States :* [[Apollo-Soyuz Test Project]] Craft (full-scale replica) :;Various space articles :* Prototype and flown Russian [[space suit]]s ===United States=== :;Winged aircraft :* [[Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird]] reconnaissance plane (flown) :* [[Northrop T-38 Talon]] supersonic jet trainer in [[NASA]] livery (flown) :* [[Reaction Motors XLR11|XLR11]] and [[Reaction Motors XLR99|XLR99]] rocket engines from the [[North American X-15]] program (flown) :* Replica of the [[Bell X-1]] ''Glamorous Glennis'', used in the filming of ''[[The Right Stuff (film)|The Right Stuff]]'' movie :* Engine from [[Bell X-1]] ''Glamorous Glennis'', pilot [[Chuck Yeager]] (flown) :;Early satellites :* [[Explorer 1]] satellite (replica) :* [[Vanguard 1]] satellite (flight-ready backup) :;[[Project Mercury|Mercury]] space program :* ''[[Mercury-Redstone 4|Liberty Bell 7]]'' Mercury spacecraft, recovered from the bottom of the [[Atlantic Ocean]]. It is the only spacecraft flown by NASA but owned by an entity other than [[NASA]] or the [[National Air and Space Museum|Smithsonian]] (owned by Cosmosphere). :* [[Mercury-Redstone Launch Vehicle]] rocket (authentic, standing vertical outdoors) :;[[Project Gemini|Gemini]] space program :* [[Gemini 10]] space capsule (flown) :* [[Agena target vehicle]] docking collar (authentic) :* [[Titan II GLV|Titan II]] rocket used in the Gemini program (authentic, standing vertically outdoors) :;[[Apollo program|Apollo]] space program :* [[Apollo 13]] command module ''Odyssey'' (flown) :* [[Lunar Roving Vehicle]] (full-scale replica) :* [[Lunar Module]] and surface experiment suite (full-scale replica) :* Apollo [[Service structure#White room|White Room]] (authentic) :* Moon rock collected during [[Apollo 11]] :* Multiple cameras and items carried on Apollo flights (flown) :* [[Rocketdyne F-1]] engine components recovered from the ocean (flown), unused engine outdoors :;[[Space Shuttle]] space program :* Full-scale replica of [[Space Shuttle Endeavour|Space Shuttle ''Endeavour'']] (left side only) :* Piece of tile from the [[Space Shuttle Columbia|Space Shuttle ''Columbia'']] disaster (flown) :;Various space articles :* Prototype and flown American [[space suit]]s ==Controversy== In November 2003, the Cosmosphere released a statement indicating that a routine audit had revealed many missing items from the museum. Over a year later, in April 2005, former Cosmosphere director Max Ary was charged with stealing artifacts from the museum's collection and selling the pieces for personal profit.<ref>{{cite web|title=United States v. Ary|url=https://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-10th-circuit/1474516.html|work=FindLaw|accessdate=23 February 2019}}</ref> Some of the missing items included a nose cone, silk screens, boot covers, nuts and bolts, an [[Air Force One]] control panel, and a tape of the [[Apollo 15]] landing which Ary sold for $2,200. Additional charges involved the theft of dozens more artifacts from the Cosmosphere when he left in 2002 and [[insurance fraud|false insurance claims]] made regarding the loss of an astronaut's Omega watch replica. Ary also failed to notify NASA of the watch's loss. Ary went on trial in 2005. He testified that the artifacts he sold were from his private collection, which he had accumulated through undocumented trades and salvage of unwanted items. He also stated he had received numerous personal gifts from astronauts. Some of the items in question were supposedly brought with him from the Noble Planetarium in 1976 and incorporated into the Cosmosphere's permanent collection, and in many cases, ownership of artifacts could not be proved on Ary's behalf or the Cosmosphere's. Ary was found guilty on 12 counts. On May 15, 2006, he was sentenced to three years in prison and ordered to pay restitution of $132,000. In 2008, he lost his appeal and began to serve his sentence in a federal prison in [[El Reno, Oklahoma]] on April 24, 2008.<ref>Vandruff, Ken (May 16, 2006) "Ary given three-year prison term" ''Wichita Business Journal''</ref><ref>Green, John (May 5, 2008) "Ruling on Ary stands" ''hutchnews.com''</ref> Ary has repeatedly proclaimed his innocence. He was released on good behavior in June 2010. ==See also== {{Portal|Kansas}} {{Category see also|Aerospace museums in the United States by state or territory}} * [[Strataca]], salt mine museum, in Hutchinson * [[Combat Air Museum]] in Topeka * [[Kansas Aviation Museum]] in Wichita * [[Mid-America Air Museum]] in Liberal * [[List of aerospace museums]] * [[List of museums in Kansas]] ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== {{Commons category|Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center}} * {{Official website|http://www.cosmo.org/}} * [http://www.kansastravel.org/hutchinson/kansascosmosphere.htm Cosmosphere info and photos], kansastravel.org {{Authority control}} [[Category:1962 establishments in Kansas]] [[Category:Aerospace museums in Kansas]] [[Category:Hutchinson, Kansas]] [[Category:Museums in Reno County, Kansas]] [[Category:Museums established in 1962]] [[Category:Planetaria in the United States]] [[Category:Smithsonian Institution affiliates]]
Edit summary
(Briefly describe your changes)
By publishing changes, you agree to the
Terms of Use
, and you irrevocably agree to release your contribution under the
CC BY-SA 4.0 License
and the
GFDL
. You agree that a hyperlink or URL is sufficient attribution under the Creative Commons license.
Cancel
Editing help
(opens in new window)
Pages transcluded onto the current version of this page
(
help
)
:
Template:Authority control
(
edit
)
Template:Category see also
(
edit
)
Template:Cite news
(
edit
)
Template:Cite web
(
edit
)
Template:Commons category
(
edit
)
Template:Convert
(
edit
)
Template:For
(
edit
)
Template:Infobox museum
(
edit
)
Template:Official website
(
edit
)
Template:Portal
(
edit
)
Template:Reflist
(
edit
)
Template:Short description
(
edit
)
Template:Webarchive
(
edit
)