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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John F. Kennedy and the Race to the Moon
Palgrave Studies in the History of Science and Technology
From 2008-2009 John M. Logsdon held the Charles A. Lindbergh Chair in Aerospace History at the National Air and Space Museum.
Space Stations: Base Camps to the Stars, Second Edition
Winner of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics History Manuscript Award. This new edition has been fully updated by the author.
The Space Telescope: A Study of NASA, Science, Technology, and Politics
With contributions by Paul A. Hanle, Robert H. Kargon, and Joseph N. Tatarewicz.
Winner of the Watson Davis Prize, History of Science Society, 1990.
Radioisotope Power Systems: An Imperative for Maintaining U.S. Leadership in Space Exploration
Dr. Roger D. Launius, Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, is a member of the Radioisotope Power Systems Committee, National Research Council of the National Academies.
The Legacy of Flight: Images from the Archives of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
A publication worked on by staff of the National Air and Space Museum.
Smithsonian Atlas of Space Exploration
Discover the entire story of humankind's efforts in space exploration, from the earliest theories of the universe to the captivating successes and advances - as well as the heartbreaking setbacks - of the past fifty years.
Epic Rivalry: The Inside Story of the Soviet and American Space Race
A publication by a staff member or members of the National Air and Space Museum.
History of Rocketry and Astronautics: Proceedings of the Thirty-Third History Symposium of The International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 1999
A publication edited by a member of the National Air and Space Museum's staff.
Societal Impact of Spaceflight
*NASA/SP-2007-4801, Document ID: 20080007234, price code EA5 (within the U.S. $25.00 plus $2.00 S & H; outside U.S. $50.00 plus $17.00 S & H). Order from https://www.sti.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/ordersti.pl.
Black Wings: Courageous Stories of African Americans in Aviation and Space History
Colin Powell once observed that "a dream doesn't become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination, and hard work." This sentiment is mirrored dramatically in the story of African Americans in aerospace history.