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 291 - 300 of 1765

Red race car on display with photo of Mario Andretti on the wall behind it.

October 06, 2022

Mario Andretti's Against-All-Odds Indy 500 Win

Story

As Mario Andretti's 1969 Indy 500-winning race car goes on display at the National Air and Space Museum, we reflect on his against-all-odds win and legacy in the motorsports community.

Eric Sloane paints the Weather Mural at the National Air and Space Museum

September 30, 2022

Eric Sloane: An Artist in The Clouds

Story

With the Museum’s west-end galleries re-opening, two murals by artist Eric Sloane will be on display. The Earth Flight Environment mural was re-installed in the lobby and a lesser-known mural titled Weather Mural is displayed again for the first time in almost 40 years. Both murals emphasize artist Eric Sloane’s integral role in communicating the relationship between weather and flight through art.

X-wing, a weathered cream and orange space vehicle hangs over an unstocked store and ticket area.

September 30, 2022

Star Wars X-wing: From Screen-Used Prop to Museum Artifact

Story

This fall, a spacecraft from a galaxy far, far, away will go on display at the Museum in DC: a full-sized T-70 X-wing Starfighter from Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Get a behind-the-scenes look at how it was installed in its new display home.

A painting with orange and blue horizontal brush strokes

September 28, 2022

Spaceflight and the Art of Vargas-Suarez Universal

Story

Museum curator Matt Shindell interviewed artist Rafael Vargas-Suarez, whose work engages with spaceflight, space technologies, and human futures. Examine his various artwork and what he has to say.

Color photograph of the top half of the golden colored lunar surface camera.

September 22, 2022

Calling Lovers of All Things Lunar

Story

Are you a lover of all things lunar? Here are three hidden gems from the Destination Moon exhibit you won’t want to miss.  

An astronaut floating in space. The Earth can be seen below in the bottom half of the frame. The astronaut holds out a long metal rod in one hand.

September 22, 2022

What was the Gemini Program?

Story

There would be no Apollo program without the Gemini program, which took place in between the Mercury and Apollo programs from 1964 to 1965.  

AirSpace, a podcast, logo

September 22, 2022

AirSpace Season 6, Ep. 10: Boom Clap

Story | AirSpace Podcast

For six months in 1964 the US Air Force flew an airplane at supersonic speeds over Oklahoma City, often multiple times a day, in a series of tests called Project Bongo. The story of how and why the tests happened is a wild ride, and we’re breaking it down for you today on AirSpace.

Seven men sit behind a table in front of an audience, each with name cards and microphones in front of them. All seven are raising their hands.

September 22, 2022

What was the Mercury Program?

Story

In the late 1950s, he United States and the Soviet Union were locked in a competition for global influence and prestige—the Cold War—and began to compete on a new frontier: space. Both nations started programs to send humans into space. In the United States, that program was Project Mercury.  

The futuristic-looking Vought F7U Cutlass was the U.S. Navy’s first jet with swept wings and the first designed with afterburners.

September 21, 2022

40 Years Building a Dream

Story | Air & Space Quarterly

Al Casby is not only working to restore a Vought F7U Cutlass, but its reputation as well.

Antarctica Ice Radar Drone-Penguins

September 21, 2022

Remote (Controlled)

Story | Air & Space Quarterly

Antarctica’s environment is the most extreme on our planet. Now, an aerial revolution has begun with uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) flying in this challenging environment.