All Stories

On the eve of SpaceX's first Crew Dragon launch, space history curator Jennifer Levasseur examines how NASA's relationship with the contractors that build its spacecraft has changed since the first days of human spaceflight. 

Space historian Paul Ceruzzi looks at a less well-known detail of the Apollo 13 mission: the Inertial Measurement Unit, which was essential to ensuring the safe return of the astronauts after an explosion damaged the service module on the way to the Moon.　

Deputy director Chris Browne reflects on the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 13 mission.

Conservator Lauren Gottschlich explores the conservation work recently done on a replica of the altered lithium hydroxide filter used during the Apollo 13 mission.

The Smithsonian's Digitization Program Office takes you behind the scenes of how they captured a comprehensive 3D dataset of the largest museum artifact ever to be digitized: Space Shuttle Discovery

In this guest blog from Smithsonian Channel, we share the story of Neil Armstrong's Lunar Landing Research Vehicle crash in May 1968.

In this guest blog, Dr. Thomas A. Kennedy, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer for Raytheon Company, reflects on what comes next.

In honor of Fourth of July, we explore artifacts in our collection with American flags.

Entrepreneur, philanthropist, and collector Paul G. Allen, co-founder of Microsoft, made a notable impression here at the National Air and Space Museum.

The next few months will also bring some exciting developments in space science. There are new missions about to launch and spacecraft that will reach their destinations after long journeys. Here are six out-of-this-world things to look for in the news over the next few months.