Artemis II Visits the Cosmosphere

In early April, the four astronauts of the Artemis II mission set a new distance-from-Earth record, traveling 252,756 miles from our planet. After orbiting the Moon, the crew held a press conference during their voyage home aboard the Orion spacecraft, named Integrity. During the press conference, Kansas Senator Jerry Moran invited the crew to visit the Cosmosphere in Hutchinson, Kansas. Prior to Moran’s invitation, Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman had told the senator that the Cosmosphere was “the best space museum in the world.”

On Tuesday, August 11, two members of the crew, Wiseman and Mission Specialist Christina Koch, along with NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, took Moran up on that offer.

The day began with a tour of the facility, including a trip through the museum to see firsthand why Wiseman considers the Cosmosphere to be the best space museum in the world. The astronauts were treated to the Cosmosphere’s impressive collection of American, Soviet, and Russian artifacts, spanning the Space Race era through more recent space endeavors.

The group then moved into the Cosmosphere’s education wing, where summer campers were busy learning. Activities ranged from solving an issue on a simulated spacecraft to learning how to solder. Wiseman and Koch visited with the campers and handed out mission patches before joining a speaking engagement with approximately 200 Cosmosphere donors and volunteers.

The astronauts were joined by Moran, Isaacman, and Cosmosphere CEO Jim Remar for the discussion, which focused on the importance of space exploration and the need to work collaboratively to preserve its history.

Wiseman noted that both he and Koch have flown on Russian and American spacecraft. He said, “To my knowledge, this is the only place where you can see the power of both. You can look through the Russian side and the American side of space travel. It’s special to be able to relive the entire space journey under one roof.” To learn more about the Cosompshere in Hutchinson watch Episode 51 of Ask A Kansan with Senior Vice President & Cheif Development Officer Claire Ludes Click to expand images

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Photos and article by Tanner Colvin