The National Air and Space Museum will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Apollo 8, the first flight to the moon, with a special event at Washington National Cathedral Tuesday, Dec. 11, at 8 p.m.

The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I and Veterans Day through the exhibition “Artist Soldiers: Artistic Expression in the First World War” and a variety of programming. “Artist Soldiers” opened on the anniversary of the United States entering WWI, April 6, 2017, and features artwork by professional artists recruited to serve in the AEF during the war and art by soldiers on the front lines. It will close Nov. 12, the day after the centennial of the war. Programming for all ages will take place throughout the month of November and Veterans Day weekend at both museum buildings.

The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum will debut the “Mars Experience” at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia, Saturday, Oct. 20, during the annual “Air & Scare” event. Using a traditional school bus outfitted with audio and visual technology, the interactive experience will virtually transport visitors to the Red Planet and give them a chance to see what it might be like to be on Mars. The “Mars Experience” was produced and donated to the museum by Lockheed Martin.

The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum will host its annual “Air & Scare” family day from noon to 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 20, at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. Visitors will enjoy safe, indoor trick-or-treating and spooky activities for all ages at this free event.

The National Air and Space Museum will host the next GE Aviation Lecture Oct. 10. “Surprising Roles for Drones” will explore the ways organizations are using drones to save lives and preserve the environment through judicious use of new technology. Speakers include John Petersen of Air Shepherd, Will Hetzler of Zipline, and Sharon Rossmark of Women & Drones. The lecture will be presented at the museum in Washington, D.C and online at 7:30 p.m.

The National Air and Space Museum will begin its major renovation of the building on the National Mall before the end of the year. The revitalization of the building’s exterior and infrastructure, and the transformation of all 23 exhibitions and presentation spaces, will take approximately seven years.

The National Air and Space Museum will host “Dreams Soar: Inspiring the Next Generation of STEM and Aviation Professionals” Sept. 26, featuring Shaesta Waiz, the youngest woman to circumnavigate the globe solo in a single-engine aircraft. This GE Aviation Lecture will celebrate inspiration in aeronautics and is tailored for a young audience. It will be presented at 7:30 p.m. at the museum in Washington, D.C., and online.

The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum has announced plans to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo missions and help lead the national celebration of the first moon landing July 20, 1969. By sharing the national collection and expertise of staff, the museum will spark conversations exploring the legacy of Neil Armstrong’s first small step and contemplating the next giant leap.

The National Air and Space Museum and Google Arts & Culture are celebrating the anniversary of Space Shuttle Discovery’s first launch, Aug. 30, 1984, by launching artifacts, exhibits and tours into the virtual world. Now, more than 200 space shuttle artifacts, several digital exhibitions, virtual tours and a 360-degree video inside Discovery with astronauts Kathryn Sullivan and Charles Bolden can be viewed online on Google Arts & Culture.

The National Air and Space Museum will receive Sean D. Tucker’s Oracle Challenger III high-performance aircraft for the future “We All Fly” exhibition. The museum has received a $10 million gift from the Thomas W. Haas Foundation for construction of the gallery, which will be named the “Thomas W. Haas We All Fly” gallery in recognition of the foundation’s gift. The Oracle Challenger III will be displayed at the entrance to the gallery, the first exhibition at the museum in more than four decades to be dedicated exclusively to general aviation.