By Richard Shank
Shank’s Scoop
As a Hutchinson resident of 38 years, Aug. 11 made this Salt City transplant even prouder to live here, the home of the Cosmosphere, which proved again to be world-class in every respect.
As was reported, Hutchinson’s special guests that day were a pair of Artemis II astronauts, who in April returned to earth following a 254,000-mile journey into space, the NASA administrator, and Sen. Jerry Moran.
It never ceases to amaze me the respect the Cosmosphere commands throughout the nation. Twenty-five years ago, while waiting in line at the Baltimore Airport one morning, a young college student standing behind me noted my luggage tag read “Hutchinson, Kansas.” He inquired if I had ever been to the Cosmosphere, which resulted in a conversation about an attraction he hoped to one day visit.
Then, in 2014, while visiting Albuquerque, N.M., and attending church services, a young priest apparently noticing we were tourists, inquired where we were from. When I responded Hutchinson, Kan., he immediately told of visiting the Cosmosphere and said how proud we must be of the attraction.
And there was the person from a metropolitan area in Kansas who said the Cosmosphere should be moved from Hutchinson to a larger city. The only response I could think of was, “Should they move the Baseball Hall of Fame from Cooperstown, N.Y., and the Professional Football Hall of Fame from Canton, Ohio?” No, I told the naysayer, Hutchinson, with its 40,000 residents, can support and sustain a space museum known throughout the world.
Attending a presentation this past week in the Fee Room at the Cosmosphere, I was very impressed how the two astronauts, Ron Wiseman, the flight’s commander, and Christina Koch, a mission specialist, were excellent speakers and relaxed in telling their story. Both had a sense of humor as well.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, a former astronaut himself, represented his agency well on his second visit to Hutchinson.
Cosmosphere President and CEO Jim Remar pointed out the Artemis Crew, during a 10-day mission to the Moon in April, was the first group of astronauts to travel anywhere near the Moon in more than 50 years. And, in doing so, Remar said the quartet of space travelers made it further than any American has ever traveled in space.
If all goes as planned, the Artemis IV Mission will put astronauts on the surface of the Moon in early 2028. Long-range plans include the United States establishing a permanent base on the Moon.
In remarks to the audience of 200 Hutchinson business leaders in attendance, Isaacman said the Artemis II Mission provided inspiration for everyone in the world.
“Still, it was just the opening act, and in 2028 we are returning to the surface of the Moon,” Isaacman said.
Moran spoke and told how he has worked with three NASA administrators, and had words of high praise for Isaacman.
“Jared is a wonderful administrator,” Moran said.
In conclusion, Moran compared the flights of the Artemis II astronauts to the state’s motto, “Ad Asper Per Aspera,” which in English means “To the stars through difficulty.”
Following remarks, the pair of space travelers revealed some interesting details regarding their mission.
Wiseman pointed out how it only takes 6.5 seconds for the spacecraft to clear the tower when taking off. And, on their flights they observed a lot of what he called “stuff” drifting in space.
The two told of seeing the far side of the Moon, never before seen by human eyes.
Koch said while traveling to the Moon, the Earth looked tiny, but on the return flight, it got bigger and bigger.
Wiseman told how the spacecraft traveled at the rate of 6 miles per second.
Koch said there was a sense of euphoria when the hatch was opened and they were officially home.
And Koch said the four astronauts enjoyed a meal of cheeseburgers as their first meal back on Earth.
I fondly remember huddling around the old black and white Zenith television set at the Shank farm on a Sunday evening in July 1969 to watch Neil Armstrong take the first steps on the Moon.
Space pundits now talk of a flight to Mars, which is no less than 140 million miles from Earth. From all indications, the crew will get to know each other pretty well as the flight will require six to seven months in travel time each way.
We old space junkies have much to look forward to. Let’s jump on board and enjoy the ride.
Richard Shank is a retired AT&T manager and external representative for Hutchinson Regional Medical Center. He can be reached at shankr@prodigy.net or by calling 620-664-1517.