All Stories

On July 20, 1969, a whole nation tuned in to see astronaut Neil Armstrong take one small step on the surface of the Moon, ushering in a new era of space exploration. But how did Armstrong and the Apollo 11 astronauts get to the Moon in the first place?

Pilot Katherine Stinson flipped the conventions of her era on their head--literally and figuratively--when she became the first female pilot to fly the loop on July 18, 1915.

To American aviators and soldiers, the grave of Quentin Roosevelt became a shrine, his death a touchstone for service and sacrifice.

If you’re planning a stop at our Museum on your next vacation, we’ve got some tips to help you make the most out of your visit!   

People have been spying on each other for forever. This episode is about what changed when spies upped their game (literally), rising into the sky. 

Samantha O’Sullivan grew up visiting the National Air and Space Museum. Now, she works in our "How Things Fly" gallery as part of the Explainers Program.

Is the American flag backwards on the side of Space Shuttle Discovery? No, the “backwards” flag is actually part of the US Flag Code.

Did we just find life on Mars? No. But NASA did announce two exciting new discoveries on the Red Planet—just before a Martian dust storm engulfed the planet. 

A new National Air and Space Museum Archives collection documents the story of Helen James, a member of the United States Air Force who was arrested and discharged as part of a campaign to remove LGBTQ people from government employment in the 1950s.

Letters home from the front reveal the personal side of wars.  On Armistice Day, November 11, 1918, marking the end of World War I, many American soldiers serving abroad were instructed to write victory letters to their fathers. As we move towards the celebration of the 100^th anniversary of Armistice Day, a pair of victory letters from France and Connecticut illustrate a different understanding between home and the front, armistice and peace.