Ad Astra per Aspera — to the stars through hardship — has been Kansas' motto since 1861. This exhibit explores how that aspiration became reality through the lives, careers, and imaginations of Kansans who helped shape the human story of spaceflight. The exhibit is an extension of KU Reads: A Common Book Experience. This year’s selection, “Orbital” by Samantha Harvey follows six astronauts aboard the International Space Station as they circle the planet, reflecting on humanity, connection, and the fragile beauty of our shared home.

On display throughout the fall semester in Watson Library’s Haricombe Gallery, the exhibit features artifacts on loan from the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center alongside documents and photographs from the Dole Institute of Politics and Kenneth Spencer Research Library.