Director’s Message

At the National Air and Space Museum rapid changes in our world have made us even more certain of the importance of transforming how we share the amazing stories of aviation, space flight and space exploration. In 2019, we made great strides along that transformative path. We completed removal of items from the west end of the National Mall building and have gutted and begun rebuilding that half of the structure. We started fabricating our new exhibits that will reflect a broader range of stories of all people. We’ve also demonstrated the ability to take our inspiration outside the walls with our Apollo 50 celebration. Your ongoing support has allowed us to remain America’s favorite museum, and we know a brighter future is not possible without support from people like you. So, thank you, and let’s continue our air and space journey together!

Ellen Stofan, PhD
John and Adrienne Mars Director

 

FY19 Highlights by the Numbers
35,656 Sets of eyes that looked through telescopes facilitated by our Astronomy Education program
6 Blogs about the 75th anniversary of D-Day
4.7 million Engagements on social media
35,000 Attendees at special events hosted at the Museum
2,000 Artifacts moved out of the National Mall building as part of its renovation
9 NASA missions involving Center for Earth and Planetary Studies scientists
256,011 Digital archives assets added to the Smithsonian Online Virtual Archives (SOVA)
500,000 Number of people who joined us to watch the Go for the Moon projection on the Washington Monument
9,130 lbs Weight of command module Columbia, which traveled to 5 cities on its two-year tour with the Destination Moon traveling exhibition.
589 Hours spent building Apollo 50th anniversary and Neil Armstrong spacesuit display cases