Save America's Treasures - Project Profile

April 2000

Kansas Comosphere and Space Center
Hutchinson, Kansas

The Liberty Bell 7 hangs in its "shower" in the Cosmosphere's restoration area. The spacecraft had to remain wet until the parts could be disassembled and cleaned.

hen someone talks about the space program, most people think of Florida or Texas. But Kansas? More and more, people are becoming aware of a space museum and restoration facility in the middle of the Kansas prairie that is helping to save some of the most recognizable artifacts of the Space Race.

The Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center in Hutchinson maintains the world's premier space artifact restoration program. With more than 100 major projects to its credit, the Cosmosphere is the worldwide leader in this unique science it pioneered more than 20 years ago.

Since 1979, the Cosmosphere has been called on by museums around the world to restore and preserve space history. Its projects have included nearly all major space artifact restoration projects for the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum (NASM), as well as artifacts for NASA.

Apollo 13 Command Module

The Apollo 13 command module Odyssey is one of the Cosmosphere's most well-known restoration projects.

April 2000 marks the 30th anniversary of the dramatic flight of Apollo 13. While millions of people have seen the story of the flight documented in the movie Apollo 13, few know of the spacecraft’s incredible journey after it ferried astronauts Jim Lovell, Fred Haise and Jack Swigert safely home.

After it was plucked from the ocean on April 17, 1970, the command module Odyssey was sent to California for a standard post-flight inspection, which involved taking the spacecraft apart piece by piece to see how well it withstood the rigors of flight. Odyssey was never reassembled. Some parts ended up in boxes, some were used for underwater training at Johnson Space Center in Houston, still others were on display in museums around the world.

The restoration of Odyssey was a 12-year odyssey for the Cosmosphere. With the more than 80,000 pieces and parts of the command module found literally around the world — from Texas to Kentucky to France — it involved a significant amount of detective work just to find all of the command module.

After NASM determined that Odyssey would have a permanent home at the Cosmosphere, all of the pieces were brought together and Cosmosphere’s restoration technicians meticulously restored the command module to its original post-flight condition. With the restoration — which took place in full view of museum visitors — complete, the actual Odyssey is now on permanent public display in the U.S. for the first time since its historic flight.

Liberty Bell 7 Mercury Spacecraft

On July 21, 1961, with a 15-minute suborbital flight of the Mercury 4 spacecraft, Liberty Bell 7, Gus Grissom became the second American in space.

Resting on the ocean floor more than 16,000 feet below sea level for 38 years, Gus Grissom’s Mercury spacecraft, Liberty Bell 7, was the most important American space artifact yet to be recovered. While the Cosmosphere worked on the project for more than 20 years, it wasn’t until 1999 when the Discovery Channel came forward to fund the deep-sea salvage expedition that the Cosmosphere’s dream became a reality. Located deeper than the Titanic, the spacecraft was recovered on July 20, 1999.

Liberty Bell 7 has undergone a meticulous restoration over the last six months in full view of Cosmosphere visitors and anyone with access to the Internet. Via a webcam in the restoration area, millions of people around the world have watched as the nearly 25,000 parts of the spacecraft have been disassembled and cleaned by the Cosmosphere’s restoration technicians in order to stop any further corrosion and preserve the spacecraft for future generations.

The spacecraft is now reassembled and will go on a three-year nationwide traveling exhibition sponsored by the Discovery Channel. Following the tour, Liberty Bell 7 will return to the Cosmosphere for permanent display and be one of the most visible examples of the Cosmosphere’s efforts to save America’s space treasures.

Related Resources

Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center

Cosmosphere Liberty Bell 7: Information and photos on the scientific aspects of the restoration and preservation of the Liberty Bell 7. You can play an active part in ensuring the preservation of Liberty Bell 7 by joining the "Support Team."

Discovery.com In Search of Liberty Bell 7: Follow the full story, from Grissom's flight 38 years ago to the ongoing efforts to restore the recovered capsule at the Kansas Cosmosphere. Includes live images of the restoration of the Liberty Bell 7 space capsule.

The Mars Millennium Project (MMP): An official White House Millennium Council Youth Initiative, MMP challenges students across the nation to design a community yet to be imagined — for the planet Mars. This interdisciplinary learning project engages K-12 students in classrooms and youth groups throughout the United States. The MMP Web site includes a teacher's guide to Windows On Mars, the first-of-its-kind video about the relationships of the arts and sciences as they apply to NASA's plans to establish a habitat on Mars in 2030.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (NASM)

Space Day Web Site: Space Day — May 4, 2000 — is dedicated to the extraordinary achievements, benefits and opportunities in the exploration and use of space. People of all ages come together to advance education in science, math and technology, and to inspire youngsters to realize the vision of our space pioneers. In the months before each year's Space Day, this site will feature event listings and local contacts to help teachers and students get on board.

Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS): SEDS is an independent, student-based organization that promotes the exploration and development of space. SEDS educates people about the benefits of space by supporting a network on interested students and inspiring people through involvement in space-related projects.