The president of the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center announced his resignation from the museum Tuesday.

Jeff Ollenburger, president and chief executive office of the Cosmosphere since 2002, has accepted a position with South Hutchinson-based American Packing. He said he would let his Cosmosphere contract expire at the end of 2006 but would remain in his current position until a successor was named.

Ollenburger was hired in 2002 after Cosmosphere founder Max Ary left to become executive director of the Oklahoma City Omniplex. Ary was convicted last year of stealing artifacts from NASA and the Cosmosphere. He was sentenced in May to three years in prison but allowed to remain free pending appeal.