All Stories

With the 75th anniversary of World War II commemorations nearing their end, it is worth reflecting on those participants whose stories are not always well told.

Since the earliest days of flight, Hispanic men and women have shaped aviation—breaking records, exploring the farthest reaches of our world, and shaping what’s possible in the aerospace field.  

On April 17, 1993, astronaut Ellen Ochoa, and the crew of the STS-56 Discovery, returned to Earth after a nine-day mission. Ochoa made history as the first Hispanic woman in space.

Una de las muchas razones por la cual me encanta trabajar en el Museo Nacional del Aire y del Espacio es que uno nunca sabe a quién va a conocer. Eso es lo que me pasó un día en mayo cuando mis colegas me preguntaron si quería entrevistar en español, al astronauta de la NASA Danny Olivas, para el programa What’s New in Aerospace, que el Museo ofrece en Internet.   

Pablo de León has been in the space business for nearly 20 years, working as a space project manager and spacesuit designer. De León spoke with visitors at the Museum in Washington, DC during our 2016 Hispanic Heritage Month: Innovators in Aviation and Space Heritage Family Day as part of the Smithsonian Latino Center’s ¡Descubra! Meet the Science Expert series.