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. 

Showing 71 - 80 of 283

November 18, 2021 Reaching New Heights in Space Story

Who were the first women in space? What were their stories? 

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November 11, 2021 Science in Orbit During Apollo Story

During the Apollo missions, astronauts didn't just travel to the Moon—they conducted experiments, both on the surface of the Moon and while in orbit.

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November 11, 2021 AirSpace Season 5, Ep. 5: Even Better Than the Real Thing Story | AirSpace Podcast

Have you always wanted to experience what it’s like to be an astronaut but without the queasy upshot of actually shooting into space? Then we’ve got news for you! Only around 550 people have been to outer space (like, ever!).  But many more can and do participate in simulated space missions right here on Earth—and it turns out they’re super important.

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November 09, 2021 Why Did We Stop Going to the Moon? Story

The Apollo program, which landed the first human on the Moon, ended in December 1972 with Apollo 17. Why did we stop? 

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November 09, 2021 Memento Moon: Some of What We’ve Left Behind Story

Between 1969 and 1972, twelve astronauts successfully landed on the Moon and returned to Earth, bringing back with them lunar samples and scientific data, and, perhaps most importantly, a new understanding of what it meant to be human. But what did they leave behind?

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November 08, 2021 What Really is Astronaut Food? Story

Can you eat in space? What do you eat in space? These might seem like ridiculous questions now—after all, who hasn’t sampled astronaut ice cream—but they were very real concerns at the advent of the space program. 

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November 05, 2021 How Do You Get to the Moon? Story

President Kennedy's decision to land men on the Moon before 1970 required the quickest, most efficient method possible. Three landing schemes were proposed. 

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November 05, 2021 Building a Moon Rocket Story

President Kennedy's decision to land men on the Moon before 1970 required the quickest, most efficient method possible. At the center of the United States success was an integral component of landing men on the Moon: the Moon rocket.  

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November 05, 2021 A Soviet Moonshot: Interpreting the Diaries of Vasily Mishin Story

Despite the Soviet Union's initial lead in technological advances during the Cold War, it was the United States who was able to land the first person on the Moon in 1969. The diaries of rocket engineer Vasily Mishin shed some light on why the United States was able to catch up to the Soviet Union's early lead in space.

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October 28, 2021 AirSpace Season 5, Ep. 4: Don't Hold Your Breath Story | AirSpace Podcast

Ever wonder what would happen to your body in space without a spacesuit? Given it’s spooky szn, we figured we’d do something a little different for this Halloween episode of AirSpace and dissect one the scariest situations an astronaut could be in. For a crash course in the intersection between astronaut life and rapid decompression we talk to the Mary Roach.  And having authored the nonfiction books Packing for Mars, Stiff, and Grunt she’s kind of perfectly qualified to talk about this bizarre venn diagram.

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