All Stories

In a salute to the U.S. Navy’s aircraft carrier centennial anniversary, photographer Jim Preston reflects on his time on board USS America. He relives the 40 year old journey in this black and white photo essay.

The USS Langley celebrated its 100th anniversary in March 2022. Discover and explore the first US aircraft carrier through these historical photographs.

Historically, queer-identifying people in the U.S. military have been forced out or forced to hide who they are. It wasn’t until 2011 that gay, lesbian, and bisexual servicemembers could serve openly, and only in the last few years that trans servicemembers could serve at all. And while there’s still a ways to go, last year the Air Force and Space Force formed a working group specifically for LGBTQ+ issues.

We report the stories of those who’ve pursued unconventional careers in aerospace.

Mars massive dust storms that periodically engulf and continue to puzzle planetary scientists—and pose threats to future expeditions. NASA’s beloved solar-powered rover, Opportunity, was killed in the line of duty when a 2018 dust storm blotted out the sun.  Individual dust particles on Mars are very small and slightly electrostatic, so they stick to the surfaces they contact like Styrofoam packing peanuts. As such, the dust can potentially gum up delicate machinery and space suits.

French Air Force neurosurgeon and pilot Valérie André broke all the rules—and saved hundreds of lives.

The Textron How Things Fly at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. will reimagine and expand the gallery that seeks to answer the singular question that underlies every single one of our artifacts: How do things fly?

Unusual careers in the aviation and space with behind-the-scenes jobs at the National Air and Space Museum.

Pamela Melroy, a retired U.S. Air Force colonel, is now NASA’s deputy administrator. During her career as an Air Force pilot, Melroy logged more than 6,000 flight hours, serving in both Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm. After NASA selected her as an astronaut candidate in 1994, she would be assigned to three space shuttle missions, and she is one of only two women to ever command a space shuttle. Melroy recently spoke about her long career in aerospace with Jennifer Levasseur, a curator in the National Air and Space Museum’s department of space history.

Highlighting artifacts in storage. Grumman TBF-1 Avenger in Building 22 at Smithsonian Air and at Space Museum’s Paul E. Garber Facility in Hillcrest Heights, Maryland.