Publications
Our staff write books on a wide variety of aviation- and space-related topics, including our exhibitions; the collection; the history of science and technology; and planetary science.
Curators also edit other titles, from the Smithsonian History of Aviation and Spaceflight series to children's books on flight. In addition, Museum curators edit book series with Cambridge University Press (Cambridge Centennial of Flight series), Palgrave Macmillan (Palgrave Studies in the History of Science Technology), Texas A&M University Press (Centennial of Flight series), and the University of Missouri Press (Sports and American Culture).
You can explore more peer-reviewed articles, stories, and more with Smithsonian Research Online.
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Predator: The Secret Origins of the Drone Revolution
The untold story of the birth of the Predator drone, a wonder weapon that transformed the American military, reshaped modern warfare, and sparked a revolution in aviation. Author was NASM Verville Fellow.
Virginia Aviation
This book depicts the rich technological heritage of Virginia, featuring 200 B&W images from local, state, and national archives—nearly all previously unpublished. Images of Aviation series.
Hubble's Legacy: Reflections by Those Who Dreamed It, Built It, and Observed the Universe with It
Historical Analogs for the Stimulation of Space Commerce
Monographs in Aerospace History, no. 54. Available for Kindle readers, other eBook readers, and as a PDF.
Discovery: Champion of the Space Shuttle Fleet
This book places Space Shuttle Discovery within the history of the space shuttle program and provides an introduction to space shuttle technology, with a focus on the orbiter itself.
Dune Worlds: How Windblown Sand Shapes Planetary Landscapes
Springer Praxis Geophysical Sciences series.
Visualize and understand the complex forms that sand accumulations have achieved in quite different environments.
Aircraft: The Definitive Visual History
Milestones of Space: Eleven Iconic Objects from the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
America's Hangar: Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, Fourth Edition
Souvenir book for the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar Hazy Center
X-15: The World's Fastest Rocket Plane and the Pilots Who Ushered in the Space Age
A concise, yet detailed, introduction to the X-15 that is definitive and beautifully illustrated.