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 11 - 20 of 494

July 16, 2024 Bruce McCandless II: Eyes in the Sky Story

It is perhaps one of the best-known images of the 20th century. Floating free against the velvety blackness of space was Bruce McCandless II. What is perhaps less well-known was the fact that, underneath the gold visor of his helmet, McCandless was wearing glasses.  

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June 20, 2024 Diamonds in the Sky Story | Air & Space Quarterly

Amanda Lee is the first woman to fly jet formations as a Blue Angel.

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June 20, 2024 The Countess Who Crossed Hitler Story | Air & Space Quarterly

The mystery surrounding the shoot-down of Melitta von Stauffenberg aircraft over the skies of Germany has finally been solved.

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June 20, 2024 Bombs, Beer, and Black Cats Story | Air & Space Quarterly

This 100-year-old Navy veteran flew PBYs in World War II.

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June 17, 2024 Remembering Mustang Ace Bud Anderson Story

During Bud Anderson's thirty-year career as an officer in the U.S. Army Air Forces and the U.S. Air Force that spanned World War II and the Cold War, he was a fighter pilot, a combat and operational commander, a test pilot, and the leader of flight test programs.

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June 11, 2024 Through the Eyes of Bill Anders Story

On June 7, 2024, Gen. William A. Anders died at age 90. Bill Anders dedicated his life to aerospace, first as a pilot and then as an astronaut, and his life was filled with inspirational moments for us to reflect upon as we mourn his passing. 

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April 23, 2024 Gene Nora Jessen: Much More than the Woman in Space Program Story

It’s 1961. You’re a 24-year-old pilot. You’re also one of 25 women invited to undergo the rigorous testing that the Mercury 7 astronauts went through. You are one of the 13 women that pass, greatly defying everyone’s expectations. Most people would dine out on this story for the rest of their lives. Gene Nora Jessen, however, isn’t “most people.”

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April 15, 2024 An Advocate for Art: James “Jim” Daniel Dean Story

Jim Dean's contributions to the Museum’s art collection and NASA are invaluable. Dean left an indelible mark in the fields of art and science as our Museum’s first art curator from 1974 to 1980 and as director of the NASA Art Program from the early 1960s to 1974.

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April 04, 2024 Lt. Gen. Thomas P. Stafford Story

Born in Weatherford, Oklahoma, to a dentist and a former schoolteacher on September 17, 1930, Lt. Gen. Thomas Stafford (USAF) grew up under the first transcontinental airline route. As a child, he would watch silver DC-3s streak across the sky and think “I want to do that.”

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March 20, 2024 Lost and Found? Story | Air & Space Quarterly

What’s new in aviation and space. The latest on the search for Amelia Earhart’s Lockheed 10-E Electra

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