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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A 10- by 40-foot mural of the moon painted by space artist Chesley Bonestell in 1957—for display at the Charles Hayden Planetarium at the Museum of Science in Boston. Now on display in the Destination Moon gallery at the National Air and Space Museum, the mural is a stark mix of light and shadow, mostly black and white colors with a bluish cast. Depicted are small and large craters rimmed by jagged mountains.

March 13, 2023

Lunar Wonderland

Story | Air & Space Quarterly

A study of Chesley Bonestell's mural "A Lunar Landscape."

Three Apollo 7 astronauts, Cunningham, Eisele, and Schirra, stand aboard NASA Motor Vessel Retriever wearing their white bulky suits during water egress training.

March 13, 2023

Up To Speed

Story | Air & Space Quarterly

What's new in aviation and space.

A crew of seven astronauts floating in zero garvity.

February 01, 2023

Memories: 20 Years Since the Columbia STS-107 Tragedy

Story

Museum curator emerita Valerie Neal reflects and shares her memories of Space Shuttle Columbia's disaster on the 20th anniversary of STS-107.

An adult Indian American woman with long black hair wears an orange spacesuit, smiling for a picture in front of a grey background and American flag.

February 01, 2023

Kalpana Chawla: The First South Asian American Woman in Space

Story

Chawla made history as the first Indian woman, and the first South Asian American woman, to fly in space. Discover her story.

AirSpace, a podcast, logo

January 12, 2023

AirSpace Season 7, Ep. 3: A Picture's Worth 1000 Words

Story | AirSpace Podcast

We’ve all seen the breathtaking Hubble and JWST images of our universe, but have you ever wondered how these pictures are made?

Walter Cunningham, Apollo 7 lunar module pilot, during the Apollo 7 mission. (Image courtesy of NASA)

January 05, 2023

R. Walter Cunningham (1932-2023)

Story

Walter Cunningham passed away on January 3, 2023. As a member of Apollo 7, Cunningham took on the risk of flying the first crewed flight of the Apollo program, which paved the way for future Apollo missions, including the first lunar landing in 1969.

Closeup portrait shot of a man

December 29, 2022

Dreaming Big with Gerard K. O’Neill

Story | From the Archives

While not a household name, Gerard K. O’Neill contributed greatly to furthering the ideas of space flight for the post-Apollo era of the 1970s. Explore his work and futuristic visions.

AirSpace, a podcast, logo

December 22, 2022

AirSpace Season 7, Ep. 2: Across the Universe

Story | AirSpace Podcast

At the turn of the 20th century, astronomy got a serious glow-up. On today’s episode, we’re telling the story of how the work of many astronomers contributed to a complete redesign of how big we know our universe to be and what we think it looks like.

Two airmen in the cramped cockpit of a KC-135 Stratotanker, surrounded by illuminated dials and switches, run through their checklist before initiating a final approach to Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii.

December 21, 2022

“On. Set. Checked.”

Story | Air & Space Quarterly

How an accident gave us the checklist, and safer flying.

The vast engines mounted on the second stage of a Saturn V rocket dwarf visitors at the Kennedy Space Center.

December 21, 2022

Smithsonian in Your Backyard

Story | Air & Space Quarterly

Many artifacts from the Apollo missions are closer than you think.  Through collaborations with affiliate organizations, the Smithsonian sponsors traveling exhibits and shares artifacts with museums throughout the U.S. and abroad, including more than 300 artifacts from the Apollo program.