The National Air and Space Museum gets an X-wing fighter—and a new director.

I’m a former Naval Flight Officer, so it’s no surprise that I love airplanes. The F-14 just might be my favorite aircraft, but I have a passion for anything that flies. So when I left a career in airport management to join the National Air and Space Museum as the deputy director in 2017, my new position wasn’t just a job—it felt like more of a calling. The Museum has a mandate to preserve and document our nation’s extraordinary history in aerospace, which makes working here a privilege. In May, I was selected to become the Museum’s new director, and I’m deeply honored to continue my service to this treasured institution.

When we unveil the first half of the reimagined Museum this fall, our visitors can explore eight new galleries. Among the artifacts going on display is a full-size T-70 X-wing starfighter used in the filming of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019). The X-wing is the largest screen-used Star Wars artifact to go on long-term exhibit at the Museum. We expect the X-wing to draw large crowds, and our display of this artifact is an acknowledgement of the power the Star Wars films have had in getting people excited about leaving Earth to discover other worlds. You can read more about Star Wars in our interview with Disney film archivist Madlyn Moskowitz, who explains how exquisitely crafted costumes, props, and models have enabled filmmakers to create the fantasy alien worlds depicted in the long-running space saga (read full interview here).

In the Star Wars universe, a T-70 X-wing has an atmospheric speed of nearly 700 mph, but you don’t have to leave Earth to find impressive displays of speed. One of the new galleries opening later this year is Nation of Speed, curated by associate director Jeremy Kinney. Kinney writes about his acquisition of the Nemesis NXT, a sleek little kitplane capable of more than 400 mph (read full article here). There’s something satisfying in watching an object zoom effortlessly through the air, and the Nemesis NXT delivered: It dominated the Sport Class at the National Championship Air Races in Reno, Nevada, four years in a row.

As seductive as speed is, though, it’s not the only consideration in designing a successful aircraft. Durability is important too, especially for a weapon of war. The Museum’s collection has one of the few surviving examples of the Ilyushin Il-2, a rugged ground-attack aircraft that helped Soviet forces turn the tide against Nazi aggression during World War II. The Museum’s Il-2 is currently undergoing an extensive restoration (read article here).

With a body of artifacts like no other, our collection has something for everyone, and we can’t wait to share the reimagined Museum with visitors on-site and online.

Christopher U. Browne is the John and Adrienne Mars Director of the National Air and Space Museum.