The University of Colorado at Boulder聮s 50-year involvement in America聮s space program comes to life in the CU Heritage Center, a museum packed with exhibits depicting the university聮s history.
The space gallery, one of seven galleries tucked away on the third floor of Old Main, displays numerous articles taken into space by CU聮s 15 astronaut alumni. Visitors also can learn about the university聮s contributions to space exploration and the technology that dots the solar system after CU聮s 50-year involvement in the quest to explore and learn about space.
On May 11, after a two-year effort, the center will unveil for public view one of only three moon rocks on display in the western United States, according to Nancy Miller of the CU Heritage Center. The rock, on loan from NASA and dubbed "lunar sample 15555," is kept in a special glass case specifically made for the fist-sized rock.
"After a two-year effort, the CU Heritage Center will get to display this extraordinary lunar sample," Miller said. "It wasn聮t easy, but we got it here."
Per NASA聮s orders, the rock will be displayed in a triangular, airtight glass case filled with nitrogen. While the lunar rock was loaned to CU-Boulder at no cost, its special case cost a whopping $9,500 to build. A donation by CU-Boulder student James Lustman covered the cost of the special case.
"People who visit the Heritage Center also get to see some of the unique items created especially for space travel, like our display of plastic pouches of food brought on an Apollo mission and the actual spacesuit worn by Stuart Roosa on Apollo 14," Miller said.
The spacesuit, or Extravehicular Mobility Unit in NASA lingo, was built to protect astronauts beyond the Earth聮s atmosphere.
"While protecting the astronaut, the suit also functioned as a uniform, office, bathroom and air conditioner," Miller said.
On Earth, the suit weighs in at about 250 pounds, which for the astronauts would equate to wrapping themselves in something that weighs more than they do.
Other displays include the original gloves worn by Jack Swigert on Apollo 13, where he coined the phrase "Houston, we聮ve had a problem here." Swigert and crewmates Jim Lovell and Fred Haise used their tiny lunar module, meant to land on the moon, as a lifeboat to carry them back to Earth.
"Visitors also get to learn about CU聮s role in the many aspects of space science and some of the amazing research that has been done in the past, and what is happening now," Miller said.
For example, in one display visitors receive a short history lesson on the Student Nitric Oxide Explorer, a satellite designed, built and operated by CU students as part of a NASA program. The satellite, which over a period of three years was worked on by more than 100 CU students, was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in February 1998 with the objective of learning more about nitric oxide in Earth聮s middle and upper atmospheres.
Along the upper wall of the room, the "CU in Space: A Timeline," exhibit presents the visitor with the history of America聮s space exploration, and how CU was involved since the beginning, back in 1952.
Visitors also can learn about all of CU聮s 15 astronauts, including what missions they flew and some of their comments about what goes on in space.
The Heritage Center, which is supported by the CU Alumni Association, opened in 1985 and brings in about 13,000 visitors annually. The center is free and open to the public. Its regular hours are Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.