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 21 - 30 of 38

September 14, 2018 How Satellites Track Storms From Space Story

During a major storm, we take satellite tracking for granted. Before 1960 this type of weather observation was not possible.

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July 25, 2018 AirSpace Ep.10:
Happy (Planet) Hunting
Story | AirSpace Podcast

NASA launched TESS, the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, on April 18, 2018, continuing our search for planets outside of our solar system (aka exoplanets). 

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January 26, 2018 The Missing History of the Explorer 1 Satellite Story | Air and Space Photos

Sometimes, seeing isn't believing until you take something apart. On the 60th anniversary of the launch of Explorer 1 by the United States, I'm prompted to recall the most valuable lesson I ever learned about what it means to be a curator.

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January 08, 2018 Finding the Alphabet from Space Story

NASA Earth Observatory science writer Adam Voiland has searched through thousands of NASA’s satellite images and astronaut photography, looking for the entire alphabet in images taken from space.

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December 14, 2017 That’s no moon. (It's also not the Death Star.) Story

With its spherical shape and piecemeal construction, it’s easy to see similarities between the Telstar satellite and the infamous Death Star of the Star Wars films. Aside from a passing resemblance in design, both pieces of technology also address a larger question that has been a focal point for humankind in reality and fantasy: what does space mean for humanity?

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November 17, 2017 Where in the World? Story

Get a more in-depth look at orbital imagery during National Geography Awareness Week, with the National Air and Space Museum's Geography from Space.

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October 03, 2017 Sputnik and the Space Age Story

Sputnik, the world’s first human-made satellite of the Earth, was launched on October 4, 1957, marking the beginning of the Space Age and the modern world in which we live today.

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September 26, 2017 The Challenge of Communication in Space Story | ISS Science

Communication is vitally important to astronauts while they are in space. Explore how experts communicate with the astronauts aboard the International Space Station in this week's STEM in 30.

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September 14, 2017 Saying Goodbye to the Saturn-Exploring Cassini Story

I think it surprises a lot of people that a mission as successful as the Cassini-Huygens Mission would be terminated on purpose. Not just shutting the spacecraft off, but terminated with such style by sending it on a destructive dive into Saturn’s atmosphere. Cassini will burn up and be destroyed in a similar way that a meteorite is broken up in Earth’s atmosphere.

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November 17, 2016 How to View Our National Parks from Space Story

This week is National Geography Awareness Week, an opportunity to reflect on the significance of place and how we affect it. One fantastic way to explore geography is from above. When viewing the Earth from a high altitude or even from space, we can begin to see and record natural and man-made features and events. We can see the remains of civilizations and the aftermath of disasters.

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