Kansas Space Destinations and Organizations

Space Destinations in Kansas

Cosmosphere

Cosmosphere

From the Cosmophere's Facebook page: "The Cosmosphere International Science Education Center & Space Museum located in Hutchinson, KS, features the largest combined collection of U.S. and Russian space artifacts in the world, which allows the Cosmosphere to tell the story of the Space Race better than any other museum.
 
Visitors to the Cosmosphere can see rocket science brought to life with a bang in Dr. Goddard’s Lab; see documentaries daily and recently-released feature films on weekends in the Carey Digital Dome Theater and gain new insight into the universe in the Cosmosphere’s state-of-the-art Planetarium. Every third Saturday, the Cosmosphere offers Space Out Saturday, a free, family-friendly event with hands-on science demonstrations, special kid-friendly tours of the museum and more.
 
Cosmosphere Aerospace summer camps and year-round STEM education opportunities meet Next Generation Science and Common Core curriculum standards, foster teamwork, leadership and critical thinking skills and introduce students to the power of wondering—asking the critical questions that lead to discovery. The Cosmosphere hosts more than 1000 children during a variety of summer aerospace camps.
 
Our mission statement: Inspiring Innovation Through Science Education and Honoring the History of Space Exploration."
 

Find the Cosmosphere on Google Maps.

Lake Afton Public Observatory

From the Lake Afton Public Observatory website: "Lake Afton Public Observatory opened in 1981 as a joint project between Wichita State University, Wichita Public Schools, Sedgwick County and the City of Wichita. The university primarily managed the observatory until 2015. The observatory then went dark after 34 years of acquainting hundreds of thousands of visitors with the stars and planets.

Thanks to members of the Kansas Astronomical Observers and Open Wichita, the observatory was saved from permanent closure and reopened on Sept. 2, 2016. It will continue to operate as a nonprofit supported by volunteers. In addition to letting visitors experience celestial bodies through the 16-inch Ritchey-Chrétien telescope, Lake Afton Public Observatory will feature exciting new exhibits and special events.

Our goal now is to modernize the observatory while providing a unique learning experience for visitors from around the US. We've started incorporating new technology including Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality games and experiences, which can keep guests learning and entertained even on cloudy nights."

Find Lake Afton Public Observatory on Google Maps.

Educational Outreach

Ad Astra Kansas Foundation 501(c)(3)

From the Ad Astra Kansas Foundation website:

"Advancing the Kansas State Motto for the benefit of Kansas, America and the World.

To achieve this mission, the initiative will

  • Promote the Kansas state motto as a beacon for the future of space and science development.
  • Celebrate cutting edge research being done in Kansas.
  • Become a recognized clearinghouse for space-tech research, development and commercialization projects in Kansas for networking and educational purposes.
  • Sponsor projects and activities to educate and inform Kansans about science and techonology
  • Create an Ad Astra physical site/resource for international R&D info.
  • Develop an Ad Astra Foundation
  • That a Kansas entity will get a project or opportunity as a result of information provided by the Ad Astra Kansas newsletter and/or web site.
  • That Kansas students will recognize the value and importance of science technology engineering and mathematics in building a future for themselves.
  • Attract the attention of the Kansas business community to the mission of Ad Astra Kansas."