Astronaut Christina Koch, West Michigan Native, Donates Spacesuit To Public Museum

This has been a pretty unique year for events that brought the world together. The Olympics at the beginning of the year put a spotlight on young stars like Alysa Liu. Then, just a few months later, the FIFA World Cup dominated much of the summer, hosted across the US, Mexico, and Canada.

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But squeezed in between these events was one that was truly out of this world - literally. Four astronauts made the first space voyage to the moon in decades, and the world watched with bated breath as the crew lifted off, rounded the moon, and splashed down in the Pacific 10 days later.

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One of those astronauts, Christina Koch, was not only the only woman on the flight but also a Grand Rapids native, with ties to Sparta, where she'd visit her grandparents each summer. Now, she's honoring her Michigan roots with a truly special donation to the Grand Rapids Public Museum: the spacesuit she wore on her spaceflight. 

Christina Koch's Grand Rapids Public Museum Donation

In a Facebook post, the Grand Rapids Public Museum announced that Koch had decided to donate not just her spacesuit, but also a number of photos from the flight. One photo is signed by her and bears a personal message from:

From the fields of Sparta, to the far side of the moon, hard work and curiosity were my compass.

 

Pretty motivating stuff. It's a true honor for her to consider Grand Rapids, considering she was born here but moved around a lot growing up. Koch is the second astronaut from Grand Rapids, joining Roger B. Chaffee with honors in the GRPM.

Koch's spacesuit will be featured in the Veterans display and is on loan from the Michigan Heroes Museum.