All Stories

Museum curator Samantha Thompson explores the cool science that goes along with the fun fiction in the 2022 film Lightyear.

Wilbur and Orville Wright made history in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. They made the first powered, controlled flight of a heavier-than-air flying machine.

What's new in aviation and space

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

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.

Mars massive dust storms that periodically engulf and continue to puzzle planetary scientists—and pose threats to future expeditions. NASA’s beloved solar-powered rover, Opportunity, was killed in the line of duty when a 2018 dust storm blotted out the sun.  Individual dust particles on Mars are very small and slightly electrostatic, so they stick to the surfaces they contact like Styrofoam packing peanuts. As such, the dust can potentially gum up delicate machinery and space suits.

The Textron How Things Fly at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. will reimagine and expand the gallery that seeks to answer the singular question that underlies every single one of our artifacts: How do things fly?

Meet Wally Funk and The Mars Ingenuity Team, the recipients of the Michael Collins Trophy. Soar to new heights with an air taxi eVTOL prototype and test a supersonic aircraft.

Engineer Mary Golda Ross made lasting contributions to the United States aerospace industry while opening doors for women and Native students to pursue S.T.E.M. education and careers.

A former Blackbird pilot now volunteers at the National Air and Space Museum.