What does the Kansas motto mean in English?

The motto "Ad astra ad aspera" means " "To the stars by hardship (effort, work, difficulties)."

It is also commonly translated to mean "A rough road leads to the stars."

The original designer of the Great Seal of Kansas, John James Ingalls (1833-1900) once stated:

"The aspiration of Kansas is to reach the unattainable; its dream is the realization of the impossible."