Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center

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The Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center is a museum and educational facility in Hutchinson, Kansas that is best known for the display and restoration of space artifacts and educational camps.

Contents 1 General Info 2 Camps 3 Museum 4 Stolen Items 5 Items on display 6 References 7 External links

[edit] General Info

Founded by Patricia Carey as the Hutchinson Planetarium, the Cosmosphere began in 1962 as a planetarium on the Kansas State Fair grounds. In 1966, the Hutchinson Planetarium moved to the campus of Hutchinson Community College in the newly constructed Science and Arts Building. Due to growing popularity, initial expansion started in 1976 and was completed in 1980 with Carey personally selecting Max Ary to be Executive Director of the newly named Kansas Cosmosphere and Discovery Center (KCDC). Ary had previously been Director at the Fort Worth Museum of Science, and had been a long-time collector of space artifacts. The Cosmosphere quickly gained notoriety for its extensive artifact collection, largely from Ary's collection, as well for its preservation of space history, which was set in an education-friendly environment. In the early 90's the city of Hutchison agreed to a 1/4 cent tax to raise funds for a significant expansion to the Cosmsosphere, which had since been renamed the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center (KCSC). During this time, Ary had formed many strong relationships with NASA, the Smithsonian, and astronauts such as Thomas Stafford, Eugene Cernan and Ron Evans to further boost the Cosmosphere's extensive collection. This further expansion tripled the size of the Comsosphere, with the centerpiece being an SR-71 blackbird in the main rotunda, for which the building was literally built around. The current facility includes a rare Omnimax Dome theatre, a curved IMAX dome, for which there were only four others in the world when it was originally built. The Cosmosphere also houses the Justice Planetarium, the 2nd largest collection of US space artifacts in the world (second only to the National Air and Space Museum), and the largest collection of Soviet space artifacts outside of Moscow. Dr. Goddard's Lab is now housed in the original planetarium and presents daily shows on how rockets work. The Cosmosphere also houses the actual Apollo 13 command module, actual Mercury Redstone and Gemini Titan rockets, as well as a Saturn V F1 Engine. The Cosmosphere was also the first institution to become an affiliate of the Smithsonian, thanks to Max Ary's years long efforts in securing such an educationally-beneficial relationship Smithsonian Institution.

[edit] Camps

One of the things that the Cosmosphere is well known for are its camps, including the Future Astronaut Training Program (FATP). FATP is a 5-day summer camp for middle school and high school students, an Elderhostel program, and several 1-day or single overnight camp options for elementary school students based on grade level. Adults can also attend the 3-day Adult Astronaut Experience program.

The highlight of the 5-day and 3-day Adult Astronaut Experience camps is a "shuttle mission" in the simulator, affectionately named the Falcon. According to camp staff, NASA astronauts have visited and tested a "mission" in the Falcon, and found it harder to fly than the actual shuttle. This is due to the fact that most of the processes on the shuttle are automated, and on the Falcon, must be done manually. Currently, no campers in the history of FATP have ever crashed the Falcon during their final mission; a boon to the reputation of the camp, and a testimony to the teamwork and skill of the campers.

At the beginning of each camp, campers are organized into teams, usually with five people on each (One commander, one pilot, and three mission specialists). A few groups in each camp will likely have four people. In that case, there will be only two mission specialists to a team. Each team chooses a name from a list of flown spacecraft except for Challenger and Columbia, out of respect for the crews of those shuttles. The name Falcon is also off limits, to avoid confusion with the shuttle simulator. Each team will work together on all of the activities and missions that take place, and train for their Falcon mission. There is often a running competition between teams. Scores such as who built the rocket that went highest, who did best in the centrifuge, who built the robot with the most complex programming, etc. This encourages creative thinking and unique approaches to problems, as campers strive to think of ways to outdo their peers.

Some of the camp activities include the Multi Axis trainer, a seat in two concentric rings that spins and twirls its occupant in every conceivable direction. There is also a centrifuge, where campers experience four times Earth gravity while completing simple tasks. A trash can stands nearby for the weak of stomach, and a pre-set signal allows riders to abort the mission if feeling queasy. There is a device known as the "tuna can" or "stress simulator", which pitches back and forth and blares loud music. Red and green buttons flash on and off, and campers try to push only the red ones, even as voices from the speakers by your ears urge you to "press the green button!" The object is to get a high score, each red button awarding you points. Push three green buttons, and the simulator shuts itself off. For levels one and two, rockets are constructed and launched, along with rockets constructed by camp counselors and senior staff. Robots are built and programmed to run a course. Campers also have time set aside to walk through the museum facilities, and ever-popular gift store breaks.

For level three, the camp is a bit different. The first day launches the teams directly into their Falcon training, and on the second day, the teams fly their missions. Multiple flight sims are crowded into these two days between an overwhelming number of other activities. To add to the tension, the flights for the level three teams are completely free of interference. Where level one the shuttle lands automatically, and on both level one and two assistance may be received from the camp staff, level three teams are on their own. For a commander, landing the shuttle manually in windy conditions, it is definitely a high-adrenaline experience.

On the morning of the third day, the campers are loaded onto a chartered bus, and driven several hundred miles to Houston, Texas. There they stay in a local hotel, and for the next two days tour behind the scenes at Space Center Houston. Currently, the campers are the only civilian group allowed behind the scenes at the NASA facilities in Texas. Highlights of the field trip include the Neutral Buoyancy Lab, the mock-ups of the shuttle and ISS that astronauts from around the world use to train for NASA missions, and Mission Control. FATP Level 3 is the only group allowed on the floor of the restored Apollo Mission Control Center and are allowed to sit in the chairs that once sat the founding fathers behind the first steps on the moon. If a class is lucky, they may also see the newly restored Saturn V rocket, now housed in a specially built hangar to protect it from the elements.

[edit] Museum

Included in the collection at the Cosmosphere are an SR-71 Blackbird, the Liberty Bell 7 spacecraft from Mercury 4 and the Odyssey command module from Apollo 13, as well as authentic Redstone and Titan II launch vehicles used in the Mercury and Gemini programs. Restored World War II V-1 and V-2 rockets are also on display. The Cosmosphere is the only museum in the world that has both an authentic restored V1 flying bomb and an authentic restored V2 rocket. It is also the only museum outside of Russia that has an authentic, flown Vostok capsule. Other notable artifacts include the Emmy Award won by the Apollo 8 mission and numerous prototype spacesuits. Along with the prototype spacesuits are some suits that have actually flown. Both American and Russian spacesuits are shown. Another prized item in the Cosmosphere's collection is a piece of moon rock.

An interesting note about the Cosmosphere collection is that nearly all of the vechicles, rockets, spacecraft, and spacesuits that you will see are either the real thing or something called a "Flight Ready Backup". A flight ready backup is identical, in all respects, to the item actually flown. If a problem is detected in a spacecraft, rocket, or suit before it is flown, the flight ready backup fills in on the mission for the damaged item. The only fake items in the cosmosphere is the model of Chuck Yeager's 'Glamorous Glennis', and the life-sized space shuttle replica that greets visitors.

Other items include a collection showing the various tools and vacuum-packed foods that astronauts would carry with them on a typical mission.

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 the modern times with the Space Shuttle and International Space Station.

Additionally, the Cosmosphere's Space Works built much of the replicated spacecraft hardware seen in the movies Apollo 13, "From the Earth to the Moon", and Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D.

[edit] Stolen Items

In November, 2003, the Kansas 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. ^[1] 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 $2,200.00. ^[2]

Additional charges involved the theft of dozens more artifacts from the Cosmosphere when he left in 2002, and false insurance claims made on the loss of an Omega astronaut's watch replica. Ary had also failed to notify NASA of the loss of the watch.

The Kansas Cosmosphere began in 1962 as the Hutchinson Planetarium. As a college student, Max Ary had worked at the Hutchinson Planetarium, and by the mid-1970s Ary was employed with the Noble Planetarium in Fort Worth, Texas. At that time Ary was also serving on a Smithsonian committee charged with finding museums to house tens of thousands of space artifacts. In 1976 Ary was approached by members of the Hutchinson Planetarium for ideas on how they could expand into a larger museum and space center. Ary worked with the Planetarium and was instrumental in turning it into the Kansas Cosmosphere and Discovery Center, launched in 1980. ^[3] In 2002, after 25 years with the Cosmosphere, Max Ary left to work in a space museum in Oklahoma. ^[4]

Ary went on trial in 2004. On the stand 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 brought with him from the Noble Planetarium in 1976 and incorporated into the Kansas Cosmosphere's permanent collection.

During the trial, Ary enjoyed the support of several former astronauts. Thomas Stafford, Eugene Cernan and Wally Schirra founded the Max Ary Defense Fund to help with Ary's legal expenses.

Max Ary was found guilty on 12 counts. On May 15, 2006, he was sentenced to 3 years in prison and ordered to pay restitution of $132,000.00.^[5]

[edit] Items on display

• Liberty Bell 7
• SR-71 Blackbird
• Odyssey command module from Apollo 13
• replica Redstone and Titan II launch vehicles
• Restored versions of World War II V-1 and V-2 rockets
• Prototype and space-flown American and Russian spacesuits
• Moon rock
• Largest American meteorite ever found
• Full-scale mock-up of Space Shuttle Endeavor (left side of craft only)
• Section from Berlin Wall
• Lunar Rover
• Lunar Module
• Copy of Chuck Yeager's X-1, "Glamorous Glennis" which was used in the film "The Right Stuff"
• Actual, flown Gemini X spacecraft
• Flown Russian Vostok spacecraft
• Actual engine from Chuck Yeager's "Glamorous Glennis"
• Backup version of Vanguard 1
• X-15 engine
• Replicas of both spacecraft from the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center