40th Anniversary of Apollo 13 at Cosmosphere

Saturday was the big day the Cosmosphere has been preparing for - the 40th Anniversary of the day Jim Lovell, Fred Haise and Jack Swigert returned to Earth from their Apollo 13 mission. The Cosmosphere hosted a reunion of 15 people involved with Apollo 13, and other astronauts who wanted to honor them.



The two surviving astronauts, Lovell (left) and Haise, peered inside Odyssesy, the Apollo 13 Command Module housed at the Cosmosphere. It was the first time Haise had seen it since he got out of it in 1970.

Earlier in the day, eight mission controllers from Apollo 13, along with pad leader Guenter Wendt and author Andrew Chaikin, participated in a panel discussion. It was amazing to hear history from those who lived it.



Left to right: Joe Kerwin, Gene Kranz, Gerry Griffin, Sy Liebergot, Andrew Chaikin, Milt Windler, Jack Lousma, Ed Fendell, Jerry Bostick and Guenter Wendt.

Saturday kicked off with a rocket launch, where the Bednarczyk family from the Kansas City area got to meet Flight Director Milt Windler. That's Dan and Collette, their son, Cole, and daughter, Piper.



Thanks to everyone who came to honor these heroes.

Free Stargazing Event April 23

The Cosmosphere is participating in HutchGEO month, to Get Everyone Outside this month. On Friday, April 23, join the Cosmosphere for a free star gazing event, weather permitting. Meet in the Cosmosphere parking lot on the south east corner of 11th and Plum at 8:30 p.m. You’ll be able to see the night sky through professional quality telescopes, with the guidance of Cosmosphere staff. It’s free and open to the public.

Venus will be visible in the south west. It will be the brightest object in the night sky after the moon. Mars will also be visible, high in the south. There’s also a good chance of spotting meteors that night because the Lyrid Meteor Shower will be finishing.

The Cosmosphere hosts a number of special events throughout the year that are free and open to the public. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn about the night sky from a Cosmosphere expert.

The Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center is a non-profit organization dedicated to Honoring the Past and Inspiring the Future of Space Exploration. Educating people from around the globe, the Cosmosphere boasts the Hall of Space museum, one of the most significant collections of U.S. and Russian space artifacts in the world; the Justice Planetarium, a dome-shaped classroom where attendants learn about astronomy; Dr. Goddard’s Lab, a live demonstration of early rocket technology; the Carey IMAX® Dome Theater, one of the first ones built in the world; and a multitude of special programs, including camps.

The SR-71 Blackbird Gets a Dusting

When you walk in the door at the Cosmosphere, the SR-71 Blackbird is hanging overhead. Like anything else, it occasionally requires a little cleaning. This afternoon was the time.



Dante, Dustin and Bill were making everything spic and span for this weekend's Apollo 13 celebration.





It was America's first "stealth" plane, although its greatest defensive technique was its speed - literally faster than a speeding bullet.





Bill also worked on the T-38 to get it ready for this weekend.

Coffee At the Cosmo - April

Coffee at the Cosmo on Thursday, April 15, is entitled, “You Rock My World:” Lunar Sample Collection and Transfer. It is at 9 a.m. at the Cosmosphere and is free and open to the public.

The Hall of Space Museum at the Cosmosphere displays a moon rock from Apollo 11, the first mission when man walked on the moon. Few rocks from that mission are available for viewing around the world.

Coffee at the Cosmo is an ongoing series of free presentations at the Cosmosphere. It’s the third Thursday of every month at 9 a.m. and is always free. Enjoy coffee and pastries, meet new friends, and learn something new.

The Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center is a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing patrons' knowledge of space exploration. Educating people from around the globe, the Cosmosphere boasts the Hall of Space museum, one of the most significant collections of U.S. and Russian space artifacts in the world; the Justice Planetarium, a dome-shaped classroom where attendees learn about astronomy; Dr. Goddard's Lab, a live demonstration of early rocket technology; the Carey IMAX® Dome Theater, one of the first ones built in the world; and summer astronaut training camps. For more information visit www.cosmo.org.

Hubble at Cosmosphere's Carey IMAX® Dome Theater

For nearly 20 years, the Hubble Space Telescope has dazzled us with unprecedented views of the cosmos—from the splendor of our celestial neighborhood to galaxies billions of light years away. Now “Hubble,” the movie, is at the Cosmosphere’s Carey IMAX® Dome Theater. The Cosmosphere is the only place in Kansas where you can see “Hubble.”

Audiences will blast off alongside the Atlantis STS-125 crew, witness up-close some of the most challenging spacewalks ever performed, and experience firsthand Hubble’s awe-inspiring imagery, from the heart of the Orion Nebula and our Milky Way to the edge of the observable universe. Recounting the amazing journey of the most important scientific instrument since Galileo’s original telescope, Hubble will immerse moviegoers in the great wonders and astounding beauty of our universe.

"It’s been said that The IMAX Experience® is the next best thing to being in space, and with IMAX, the audience really is there,” said Producer/Director Toni Myers. “Fifteen years ago we made a film about space exploration that included Hubble, when it started sending back the first images. Today, we have Hubble’s entire phenomenal legacy of data to explore. With IMAX, we can transport people to galaxies that are 13 billion light years away—back to the edge of time. Real star travel is here at last.”

Through the power of IMAX, Hubble will enable moviegoers to journey through distant galaxies to explore the grandeur and mysteries of our celestial surroundings, and accompany space-walking astronauts as they attempt some of the most difficult and important tasks in NASA’s history. The film will offer an inspiring and unique look into the Hubble Space Telescope’s legacy and highlight its profound impact on the way we view the universe and ourselves.

Narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio, Hubble is rated G and is 43 minutes long.