The Cosmosphere is a space museum in Hutchinson, Kansas, United States. The museum houses over 10,000 spaceflight artifacts meaning original components of spacecraft and is second only to the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.
The Cosmosphere museum houses components from the earliest experiments in rocketry during the World War II era, 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.
This is a replica of the Discovery Space Shuttle.
The museum also has the largest collection of original Russian spacecraft components in the world outside of Moscow.
During my tour of the museum, I spend a great deal of time reading the information display boards that frankly admit how the early Russian satellites scared the Americans tremendously during the days of the space race and how Americans were terrified with the fact that an enemy spacecraft was orbiting the US skies every half an hour.
That ‘the launching of the first artificial Earth satellite called Sputnik by the Russians in 1957 was an enormous blow to American pride’ is candidly mentioned in one of the information boards.
When the Soviet economy was crumbling, the Soviet space program was looking to get rid of older spacecraft in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The Cosmosphere museum bought a lot of valuable artifacts at good prices from them.
In the photo below is Lunokhod which is a Soviet Lunar Rover Buggy,
Astonishing Fact: This is a flight-ready backup meaning if the first one fails this could be then launched in its place. So this is not a replica but a backup of the original and as good as the original, except that it was never launched since the first one succeeded.
The top attractions however are pioneering German spaceflight artifacts that were shifted out of Germany during and after the world war. An example is this original V2 rocket on display.
The V2 is one of the earliest known modern rockets after the raw modern rockets that were made and used in India.
The V-2 that is short for German Vergeltungswaffe 2 or the Retribution Weapon 2, was the world’s first long-range guided ballistic missile.
It was powered by a liquid-propellant rocket engine, was developed during the Second World War in Germany.
Astonishing Fact: The V-2 rocket also was the first artificial object to travel into space on 20 June 1944 by crossing the Karman line which defines the boundary between earth’s atmosphere and outer space. So now you know Sputnik was not the first to venture into space though it was the first to orbit the earth.
In the photo below are the original spacesuits used during the various Apollo missions that took US astronauts to the moon.
Astonishing Fact: If you know or have ever seen or used a handheld camcorder, notice that one of the astronauts is wearing a miniaturized version on his neck.
During a rocket launch, we normally get to see fire and gas coming out, but now is the time to marvel at the intricate machinery around the real exhaust nozzle of a real rocket. I took this close-up photo with special permission where the intricate network of air and fuel supply lines are seen along with the catalyst supplier, various motors, and compressors that govern and control the mechanisms are also placed in the various housing.
Astonishing Fact: Today, even a basic car fuel injection system is computerized using built-in microchips but the above fuel-burning mechanism was all mechanical.
The Cosmosphere has four venues:
- The Hall of Space Museum.
- The Justice Planetarium.
- The Carey Digital Dome Theater, and
- Dr. Goddard’s Lab which is a presentation on the history of rocketry.
A prized item on display is a Moon rock from Apollo 11, the first manned mission to land on the Moon though I could not take a picture of it.
For adults who’ve always dreamed of going into space, the Cosmosphere museum offers a three-day “Train Like an Astronaut” camp. Participants can pilot a spacecraft simulator, train in a 4-G centrifuge and stress simulator, and build and launch their own rockets.
To Visit the Museum - All You Need to Know
Established: 1962
Founder: Patty Carey
Number of artifacts: 10,000+
Number of visitors per year: 100,000+
Timings: Monday to Saturday 9 AM to 6 PM and Sunday 12 Noon to 6 PM
Closed on: Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter only
Address: 1100 N Plum St Hutchinson, Wishicta, KS 67501, USA
Phone: +1-620-662-2305 and +1-800-397-0330
Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/pGdfSqEAiLQdVGbu9
Ticket: $26 for adults; $17 for children
Buy Tickets: https://ticketing.cosmo.org/GeneralAdmission.aspx
Museum Shop: http://shop.cosmo.org/
Have you visited any interesting museum recently? I’d be interested in knowing.
Until then… Happy Guiding 
Accessibility Features
Ramp Access.
Wheelchair-accessible Entrance.
Wheelchair-accessible Restroom/Toilet.
Wheelchair-accessible Seating.
Wheelchair-accessible Parking.
Wheelchair-accessible Elevator.
What Else To Do In Wichita, Kansas
While you are in Wichita, KS, these are the top-recommended places:
- Cosmosphere Space Museum
- Kansas Aviation Museum
- Sumo by Nambara Japnese Hotel
- Exploration Place
- Alleys Indoor Entertainment
- Tanganyika Wildlife Park
This article is part of the Kansas StateChallenge organized by @Denise_Barlock and @Kwiksatik,
Also tagging regular attendees at the Quiz
@Erna_LaBeau, @Kashifmisidia, @jayasimha78, @SilvyC, @JaneBurunina
Thank you for sharing such a detailed post 
L am sorry to hear you look different now. You had the look of a perfect and handsome gentleman well dressed and all. Well life moves on and we don’t stay the same either
🏾