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. 

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Robert W Farquhar, on the left, and James L Green, on the right, converse at a symposium.

November 21, 2015

Remembering Robert Willard Farquhar

Story | At the Museum

Known for devising innovative and intricate spacecraft trajectories, and for his whole-hearted dedication to robotic space exploration, Robert “Bob” Farquhar left a strong impression on the American space program. 

A group of men unload turkeys from a truck prior to the Northwestern Aeronautical Corporation's employee giveaway of holiday turkeys.

November 19, 2015

From the Archives: A Company Thanksgiving

Story | From the Archives

Many families have their own Thanksgiving traditions that they faithfully recreate each November—Grandma’s stuffing, Aunt Jean’s serving platter, homemade cranberry sauce, or an insistence upon the canned sauce with ridges. After the meal, it may be nap time or football time. But the most common tradition is cooking and eating a big, fat Thanksgiving turkey. The collections in the National Air and Space Museum Archives provide a cornucopia of images and information on the history of aviation and spaceflight, some with moments of Thanksgiving cheer.

November 17, 2015

The Tizard Mission – 75 Years of Anglo-American Technical Alliance

Story

The Allied Victory in World War II was one of cooperation, not just on the battlefield, but in the laboratory. Microwave radar, jet propulsion, gyroscopic gunsights, and even penicillin were key innovations critical to American military success.

Diagram from Apollo Handbook

November 12, 2015

Transcribing Apollo Stowage Lists With Help from Volunteers

Story

Apollo artifacts have begun to receive increased scrutiny in light of recent discussions about returning humans to the Moon and the upcoming 50th anniversary of the historic Apollo missions. What did astronauts of the 1960s and 1970s bring back from the Moon? What was left behind? And how can we verify the authenticity of any of those objects if they have been or will be recovered?

NASA launched the chimpanzee Ham on a suborbital flight in January 1961.

November 10, 2015

Mercury Primate Capsule and Ham the Astrochimp

Story | Under the Radar

On May 5, 1961, Alan Shepard became the first American in space. However, three months earlier NASA had launched “Number 65” on a mission that helped pave the way for Shephard’s momentous flight. Number 65 was a male chimpanzee born in 1957 in the French Cameroons in West Africa.

A woman helps President Barack Obama learn the parts of a telescope at an astronomy event held at the White House.

November 06, 2015

The Day I Helped President Obama Observe the Moon

Story

I’ve done a lot of “cool” things as an educator at this Museum: performed a solar system dance with Miss America, chatted with astronauts, and given people their first awe-inspiring views through a telescope. But I have to say, my most recent experience was truly out of this world. On Monday, October 19, 2015, I participated in the second  Astronomy Night at the White House. This event is designed to get youth excited about astronomy, space exploration, science, and engineering. 

Explainer Demonstrates EMU Spacesuit

November 02, 2015

Explainers Program Expands Students’ Experience

Story

A few weeks ago we made a huge announcement that our Explainers Program would be expanding. The exciting news made us ponder: What does it mean to be an Explainer? So we sat down with two of them to find out.

Mannequin Models Early Flight Mask

October 29, 2015

Halloween Horrors of the Air: 13 Terrifying Images of Aero Fashion

Story

From witches to winged demons, humanity has long harbored a horror of airborne denizens. Even when we ventured forth into the heavens without supernatural support, we sometimes adopted some truly terrifying attire.

Side view of a jet aircraft with long wings. Aircraft is in flight.

October 27, 2015

Bridge of Spies: An Opportunity to Bust Myths about the U-2 and the Capture of Gary Powers

Story

I recently attended a screening of Bridge of Spies, a new movie directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Tom Hanks. Purportedly, Bridge of Spies was inspired by events surrounding the 1962 exchange of U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers and graduate student Frederick Pryor for Soviet spy Rudolph Abel. The movie event was sponsored by Virginia’s Cold War Museum which was co-founded by Francis Gary Powers, Jr., who was also in attendance and served on a Q&A panel after the film.

Front view of a military aircraft with artwork on its nose that represents the mouth of a shark.

October 22, 2015

Fear and Concealment: Military Aircraft Disguises and Transformations

Story

The Museum’s annual Air & Scare event is taking place this Saturday at the Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. In the spirit of disguises, costumes, and just plain scary stuff, I thought I would share some examples from the history of military aviation where things were not as they seemed.