Ad astra

If you want breathtaking landscapes, Kansas is the last place in North America to look. However, there are things worth seeing. I recently spent a couple hours at the Cosmosphere in Hutchinson, which has an impressive collection of aerospace memorabilia, including a SR-71 Blackbird in the lobby.

A Redstone rocket such as was used during the Mercury program.

The Cosmosphere website features more graphics than information, and I haven’t found exactly what the nozzle in the foreground is. In the background is a Titan II rocket of the sort used in the Gemini program.
A close view of the Titan.
How big were the Redstone and Titan rockets? Rather dinky by later standards. (Graphic from here.)
V-1
V-2

Various historical sound recordings play continuously at the exhibits (JFK had a rather annoying voice). I didn’t hear Tom Lehrer’s tribute to Wernher von Braun, though.

A Russian RD-107 rocket engine.
A “flight-ready backup” of Sputnik I.
A Redstone atomic warhead, presumably with the fissionables removed.
A replica of an Apollo lunar module.
A statue of Eugene Cernan, who fifty years ago was the last man to set foot on the Moon.

There’s lots more there. I’ll be making more trips.