Cosmosphere to bring spacecraft exhibit to Overland Park

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – A spacecraft that sank after its descent on the second U.S. manned space flight nearly 60 years ago is headed to northeastern Kansas as part of a temporary exhibit.

The exhibit featuring the Liberty Bell 7 capsule is expected to open in Overland Park next year as a preview to a proposed satellite location of the popular Hutchinson space museum, the Cosmosphere.

The upcoming Cosmosphere Innovation Space at Bluhawk in Overland Park announced the temporary exhibit on Monday, the Hutchinson News reported .

The Cosmosphere assisted in the recovery of the space capsule, which was pulled out of the Atlantic Ocean in 1999. Liberty Bell 7 was flown by Gus Grissom in the Mercury space program, and is currently on display at a museum in Indianapolis.

“I think we realized people are very eager for this satellite location,” said Mimi Meredith, chief development officer for the Cosmosphere. “Our friends in the Johnson County area and friends of the Cosmosphere are ready to give their friends the Cosmosphere experience. We want to provide some degree of that, even while we wait for the second phase of construction to begin.”

The location for the small exhibit hasn’t been finalized, but it will be part of the proposed $1 billion mixed-use Bluhawk development, where the new Cosmosphere location will be situated.

The Cosmosphere Innovation Space plans to leverage foot traffic that the development will generate in its first phase, particularly through the sports complex scheduled to break ground next year. The satellite location has a tentative timeline to open in 2021 or 2022.

“Significant planning is going into the design and programming for the Cosmosphere, and we felt that it would be a great opportunity to not only bring the Cosmosphere experience to Overland Park early but also use the exhibitions while we test ideas and refine our program,” said Stuart Stram, Bluhawk’s communications director.

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Information from: The Hutchinson (Kan.) News, http://www.hutchnews.com