Stories of daring, stories of technological feats, stories of prevailing against the odds ... these are the stories we tell at the National Air and Space Museum. Dive in to the stories below to discover, learn, and be inspired. 

Showing 311 - 320 of 1713

May 06, 2022 Dealing with the Aftermath of the Hindenburg Disaster Story

On May 6, 1937, German airship LZ 129 Hindenburg burst into flames upon its approach to Naval Air Station Lakehurst, in New Jersey. Soon after, the airship plummeted to the ground in a crash that shocked the world. The incident marked the beginning of the end of the era of the airship. Read about one of most famous disasters in aviation history.

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May 05, 2022 Conserving and Digitizing Alan Shepard’s Mercury Freedom 7 Suit Story

To tell the story of the first American in space, the Museum has conserved and digitized the Mercury suit Alan Shepard wore during the first American human spaceflight in 1961. The suit will be displayed in the new Destination Moon exhibition.

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May 01, 2022 The Politics of Air Superiority Story | Air & Space Quarterly

Author Michael W. Hankins interview.

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May 01, 2022 The Wooden Wonder Story | Air & Space Quarterly

When metal was in short supply, the de Havilland Mosquito prevailed without it.

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April 30, 2022 Ingenuity’s First Year on the Surface of Mars Story

Analogous to the Wright brothers on December 17, 1903, the first flights of Ingenuity clearly demonstrated that a powered machine could fly under control in the thin Martian atmosphere. Read about how the Mars Helicopter has exceeded expectations and what it has accomplished on the surface of the Red Planet for an entire year.

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April 28, 2022 AirSpace Season 6, Ep. 1: 99 Luftballons Story | AirSpace Podcast

On the scale of thrilling aviation activities, hot air balloon rides normally rank pretty low. But how would you feel if one balloon ride was your ticket to a better life? AND what if you had to not only pilot the balloon yourself, but build it from scratch, in secret? What started with a magazine article about the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta ended with a thrilling aerial escape from East Germany in 1979. On this episode of AirSpace, we hear what it was like from someone who lived it firsthand. And we talk to a modern-day balloonist to learn just how difficult it is to create your own air-worthy balloon.

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April 27, 2022 Conserving the Lunar Roving Vehicle Story | Inside the Conservation Lab

The lunar roving vehicle (LRV), gave Apollo 15, Apollo 16, and Apollo 17 astronauts the ability to travel far distances and haul equipment and samples with ease. Read about the conservation treatment of the qualification test unit LRV, used for testing to ensure that the rovers for the Apollo missions functioned properly while on the Moon.

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April 14, 2022 QueerSpace: Saxophones on the Moon Story | QueerSpace

When researching QueerSpace, we repeatedly saw creators blending themes of space and themes of queerness in their art. Many of these artists use their art to envision new futures. Futurist thinking uses the experience of the past and present to contextualize and reimagine what the future could be, often creating a future that’s more equitable and radically different than what we have now.

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April 06, 2022 How the Space Age Transformed Our Lives Story

To tell the story of the Space Age, the new RTX Living in the Space Age exhibition will share how the Space Age impacts the lives of people worldwide, through the stories of people and objects which brought it about. Learn more about the upcoming reimagined gallery.

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March 31, 2022 An Old Trophy Finds New Life Story | Inside the Conservation Lab

Recently an old trophy with a standing figure of the Roman god Mercury on top was treated by our Conservation Unit. Discover the story behind it and learn about its conservation treatment.

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