Historic Liberty Bell 7 To land at Planet Comicon Kansas City for exhibit.
The Mercury spacecraft was the second crewed U.S. spaceflight in July 1961; LB7 will be at Planet on loan from the Cosmosphere International SciEd Center & Space Museum
KANSAS CITY, MO (March 30, 2022) – Planet Comicon Kansas City, in partnership with the Smithsonian-affiliated Cosmosphere, is thrilled to announce that the historic Liberty Bell 7 spacecraft will be on exhibit during Planet, April 22-24, 2022, at Bartle Hall. Liberty Bell 7 will be off display at the Cosmosphere from Wednesday, April 20 through Monday, April 25. It will be back on display at the Cosmosphere in Hutchinson, KS, on Tuesday, April 26, 2022.
Planet will be the first comicon in the country to exhibit a flown, crewed spacecraft. Piloted by Gus Grissom, one of the original Mercury 7 astronauts, the Project Mercury spacecraft was launched on July 21, 1961 and featured the second crewed U.S. spaceflight in history. The Liberty Bell 7 will be available for attendees to view for the duration of Planet’s 2022 event on loan from the Hutchinson, Kansas-based Cosmosphere.
Piloted by Gus Grissom, one of the original Mercury 7 astronauts, the Project Mercury spacecraft’s sub-orbital flight lasted 15 minutes in 1961 and was a textbook mission until splashdown, when the hatch door prematurely ejected off the craft, filling it with seawater. While Astronaut Grissom was rescued by helicopter, the LB7 craft sank to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean and stayed there for 38 years before an expedition led by the Discovery Channel and the Cosmosphere recovered it from its resting place at a depth of more than 16,000 feet. Space is not an unknown frontier to Planet Comicon Kansas City fans. Over the years, Planet has welcomed guests from the fantastical world of Star Trek, Star Wars and beyond.
“As a lifelong crewed spaceflight enthusiast, I was honored during the early years of Planet to host astronauts Al Bean and Ed Mitchell, who walked on the Moon on Apollo’s 12 and 14, respectively, as well as Dick Gordon, command module pilot of Apollo 12 who orbited the Moon while his crew-mate Al Bean walked on its surface,” said Planet Comicon Kansas City CEO/Founder Chris Jackson. “Bringing LB7 to Planet 2022, especially when we already have a renowned guest like Adam Savage, who is also a space flight enthusiast, is a no-brainer. I’m excited to share this treasured piece of US history with Planet fans.”
In addition to the generous loan of the LB7 for display, Planet Comicon Kansas City and the Cosmosphere will work together to enhance the science and STEM-based activities at Planet, while also sharing the historical relevance of the LB7 and the Cosmosphere’s spacecraft programming. Photos, presentations and more will be available during Planet Comicon Kansas City and in conjunction with the Cosmosphere.
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About Planet Comicon Kansas City Founded in 1999, Planet Comicon Kansas City will celebrate its 22nd annual show, April 22-24, 2022. Featuring eight football fields worth of exhibit space, comics, collectibles, merch, programming, gaming and family-friendly entertainment, Planet gives fans the opportunity to get up close and personal with the best in comics, sci-fi, fantasy, and superhero television, film, and books. Locally owned and operated, Planet is not affiliated with any other event and makes its home year-round in Kansas City. For more information, tickets, photo opportunities and the latest guest announcements, visit PlanetComicon.com and “Like” @PlanetComiconKC on Facebook, follow @PlanetComiconOfficial on Instagram, and stay in touch via @PlanetComicon on Twitter.
About Cosmosphere Since its humble beginnings in 1962, visitors from across the globe have come to Hutchinson, Kansas to discover the inspiration that can only be found at the Cosmosphere. An international science-education center and space museum, the Cosmosphere inspires innovation through science education and honoring the history of space exploration. The Cosmosphere was one of the first affiliates of the Smithsonian Institution and features the largest combined collection of U.S. and Russian space artifacts in the world. For more information on the Cosmosphere, visit Cosmo.org and “Like” @kscosmosphere on Facebook, follow @the_cosmosphere on Instagram, and stay in touch via @the_cosmosphere on Twitter.
