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 261 - 270 of 1765

Two airmen in the cramped cockpit of a KC-135 Stratotanker, surrounded by illuminated dials and switches, run through their checklist before initiating a final approach to Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii.

December 21, 2022

“On. Set. Checked.”

Story | Air & Space Quarterly

How an accident gave us the checklist, and safer flying.

The vast engines mounted on the second stage of a Saturn V rocket dwarf visitors at the Kennedy Space Center.

December 21, 2022

Smithsonian in Your Backyard

Story | Air & Space Quarterly

Many artifacts from the Apollo missions are closer than you think.  Through collaborations with affiliate organizations, the Smithsonian sponsors traveling exhibits and shares artifacts with museums throughout the U.S. and abroad, including more than 300 artifacts from the Apollo program.

Sally Ride floats in the cramped interior of the space shuttle, during the 1983 mission where she became the first American woman in space.

December 21, 2022

Career Keepsakes

Story | Air & Space Quarterly

The checklists Sally Ride included in her personal papers help tell the story of her remarkable life.

The Apollo 1 fire prompted NASA to redesign the spacecraft’s hatch, which is on display at the National Air and Space Museum. Astronauts could unlatch the entire assembly by activating a pump handle and then pushing open the combined unit.

December 21, 2022

The Tragic Day on Pad 34

Story | Air & Space Quarterly

More than 50 years ago, a fire killed three Apollo astronauts. My grandfather was there.   

An illustration depicts a large satellite, covered with round metallic spheres, in orbit above the Earth. Orbit Fab, a Colorado-based space company, aspires to launch this supertanker that will provide hydrazine fuel to satellites, thereby extending their lifetimes. The company offers a delivery price of $20 million for up to 220 pounds of fuel.

December 21, 2022

Fill ’Er Up

Story | Air & Space Quarterly

Ambitious plans for gas stations in space could extend the lives of satellites

A pale gray Viper helicopter gunship, bristling with weapons pods, lifts off the USS Boxer.

December 21, 2022

Up to Speed

Story | Air & Space Quarterly

What's new in aviation and space.

Robert McCall’s famous painting for 2001: A Space Odyssey depicts a vast wheel-shaped space station spinning in space.

December 21, 2022

Visions of Space Stations

Story | Air & Space Quarterly

Artists have envisioned stunning possibilities of our futures in space, from living on distant worlds to constructing orbiting fuel depots. many of these paintings, drawings, and even models can be found in the collection of the National Air and Space Museum.

Russ Lee, a curator at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., stands in front of the Loving WR-3, a red-and-white monoplane aircraft built by aeronautical engineer Neal Loving.

December 21, 2022

A Homebuilt Built for the Highway

Story | Air & Space Quarterly

The Loving WR-3 was a roadable airplane designed and built by Neal V. Loving, an aeronautical engineer and pilot.

An emergency radio that belonged to Charles Lindbergh and his wife Anne Morrow Lindbergh. The radio is a metal box with a wrinkle black finish and a Pan American Airways Systems data plate. The radio’s interior contains a network of electronics, vacuum tubes, and wires.

December 21, 2022

In Case of Emergency

Story | Air & Space Quarterly

For the Lindberghs  flying over vast stretches of water and wilderness in the early 1930s, reliable radio equipment was a necessity.

Apollo 13 crew members aboard the USS Iwo Jima, on April 17, 1970.

December 21, 2022

Calm, Cool, and Collected

Story | Air & Space Quarterly

This review of Apollo astronaut Fred Haise's autobiography provides a detailed account of Apollo 13, which he flew with crew mates Jim Lovell and Jack Swigert.