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 319

A painting depicting the Martian surface with spacecraft on it.

January 22, 2021

Mars Project: Wernher von Braun as a Science-Fiction Writer

Story

Wernher von Braun was a superb engineering manager, an excellent pilot, and a decent pianist. In the U.S., he became a national celebrity while speaking and writing about spaceflight. But we don’t think him as a science-fiction writer.

Cyan AirSpace logo above "Voyage to Mars" in white, lowercase text

January 19, 2021

Voyages to Mars: Searching

Story | Voyages to Mars

The search for life is a pillar of Mars exploration. But our search isn’t only confined to the planets of our solar system. Radio telescopes search for signals of intelligent life from far away planets, orbiting other stars. In his story, “The Great Silence,” science fiction author Ted Chiang features the Arecibo telescope as he considers the significance of the animal life that surrounds it.

Photo postcard. Left: beach with palm trees. Right graphic drawings of Santa Claus over preprinted text: "Merry Christmas" Handwritten signature. Preprinted text: "Arthur Clarke"

December 31, 2020

Celebrating the Holidays with Arthur C. Clarke

Story | From the Archives

As I have been scanning the correspondence that science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke received over his lifetime, a constant staple of correspondence always crops up near the end of a year. These being the abundant number of Christmas cards Clarke would get around the holidays.

Man stands in front of spacesuit replica

December 30, 2020

Wonder Woman and the Smithsonian

Story

Explore the history of Wonder Woman and the Smithsonian, including how Wonder Woman 1984 was filmed at three Smithsonian museums.

AirSpace, a podcast, logo

December 24, 2020

AirSpace Season 3|Ep.12
Never Surrender

Story | AirSpace Podcast

It’s safe to say that the AirSpace pod loves Galaxy Quest, but doesn’t everyone!? It has it all: sci-fi, action, and comedy, an underdog who saves the day, and feel good story with space aliens! For the Trekkies among us, it’s an unswerving love letter to the importance of fans in any successful franchise. In the final episode of season 3, Emily, Matt, and Nick discuss why this is the movie to watch with your family this holiday season.

A screenshot of a computer generated image of Santa flying through Chicago

December 24, 2020

Yes, NORAD Says There is a Santa Claus

Story

How did a misdialed phone number lead to a holiday tradition.

Cyan AirSpace logo above "Voyage to Mars" in white, lowercase text

December 15, 2020

AirSpace Presents
Voyages to Mars: Dreaming

Story | Voyages to Mars

Interplanetary road trips take a WHILE. So for this episode of Voyages to Mars, while we cruise onward towards the Red Planet, we’re listening to some poetry that pays tribute to long duration space travel.

AirSpace, a podcast, logo

December 10, 2020

AirSpace Season 3|Ep.11
Blinded by the Light

Story | AirSpace Podcast

Most of us live in places that give us a less than ideal view of the stars because of light pollution from our cities and suburbs. But keeping our skies dark is important for so many reasons – for nocturnal animals, for science and astronomy, and for cultural traditions around the world.

Charles "Chuck" Yeager with Bell X-1

December 08, 2020

Remembering Chuck Yeager, a Pilot with the Right Stuff

Story

The greatest pilot of the Greatest Generation has passed. Seventy-nine years to the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor, famed test pilot, World War II ace, and the first person to fly faster than the speed of sound, Brig. Gen. Charles “Chuck” Yeager, died at the age of 97.

The Doomsday Machine, a cone-shaped planet destroyer, from Star Trek: The Original Series

November 25, 2020

My Favorite Classic Star Trek Episode

Story

I became enamored of Star Trek back in the early 1970s, when it went into syndication after completing its three-year run on NBC in 1969. Many fans agree that the 1967-68 season produced some of the best episodes of the series, yet contrary to the opinion of most, I believe The Doomsday Machine is the best of them all.