Wichita native found the Titanic on a secret mission. Here’s what to know

A new exhibit at Exploration Place tells the story of how Wichita native Dr. Robert Ballard discovered the Titanic in 1985 while on a classified Navy mission. “Finding Titanic: The Secret Mission” runs through Sept. 7.

FULL STORY: Wichita native discovered Titanic in secret mission. New exhibit tells his story

Here are key takeaways:

• Ballard’s famous discovery happened during a secret Cold War mission to find two sunken Navy nuclear submarines, the Thresher and the Scorpion. The Titanic search served as a cover story so the Soviets wouldn’t know the real objective.
• After completing the classified mission, Ballard had just 12 days to search for the Titanic. French explorers with advanced side-scan sonar had already failed to find it, and Ballard had only what he called “a camera on a string.”
• “Kid from Kansas, you know,” Ballard told The Wichita Eagle. “Don’t underestimate a kid from Kansas.”
• The exhibit puts visitors in Ballard’s shoes as the oceanographer and naval officer behind the mission. It’s included with Exploration Place admission and free for members.
• General tickets are $20 for ages 12 to 64 and $15 for ages 3 to 11 and 65+. Tickets are $2 cheaper online, and active duty military and up to 5 family members get free admission through Sept. 7.

The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The full story in the link at top was reported, written and edited entirely by journalists.