Press Releases

The National Air and Space Museum received an $11 million gift from Allan and Shelley Holt made through The Hillside Foundation to support the creation of a new gallery, part of the dramatic transformation of the museum’s building on the National Mall. The “Allan and Shelley Holt Innovations Gallery” will be a dynamic space that explores how new inventions shape aviation and space exploration in this century and the next. 

The National Air and Space Museum has announced Apollo at the Park, an exciting program that will display full-sized statues of Neil Armstrong’s Apollo 11 spacesuit in 15 Major League ballparks across the country, as part of the museum’s nationwide celebration of the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing. America’s national pastime meets history’s greatest adventure June 4 when the first statue will be unveiled at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. The other 14 suits will appear in ballparks soon after.

Thousands of young cliff-like, fault scarps detected in images taken by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) are evidence of a shrinking moon and recently active lunar faults. But just how recently these faults were active was not known.

The National Air and Space Museum will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing with a five-day celebration at the museum and on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. From July 16, exactly 50 years from the launch of Apollo 11, to July 20, the day Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin took the first steps on the moon, visitors can take part in celebrating this momentous milestone in history. A variety of educational and commemorative activities will take place throughout the week. Regular updates will be posted to the museum’s website.

The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum will award its 2019 Trophy to Gen. Charles F. “Charlie” Bolden for Lifetime Achievement. In the category of Current Achievement, the Trophy will be awarded to the LIGO Scientific Collaboration (LSC). The recipients will receive their awards March 26 at a black-tie dinner in Washington, D.C.

The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum has partnered with Google Arts & Culture to launch their newest interactive online exhibit, “Once Upon A Try,” which pays tribute to the stories of humanity’s greatest inventions and discoveries. The project showcases unsung heroes of invention, extraordinary stories behind ordinary objects and stories behind world-changing inventions.

As the nation celebrates the 50th anniversary of landing a man on the moon, July 20, 1969, Raytheon joins the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum as a sponsor of its Apollo celebrations to ignite interest in future space exploration and innovation. The museum’s commemoration of the Apollo program will continue through fall 2019. 

The National Air and Space Museum received RocketMotorTwo, the hybrid engine that powered Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo, called VSS Unity, into space for the first time Dec. 13, 2018. This historic flight showcased Virgin Galactic’s newest vehicle, capable of carrying up to six passengers into space. RocketMotorTwo will eventually be displayed in the “Future of Spaceflight” exhibition, scheduled to open in 2024 as part of the museum’s seven-year renovation.

The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum has begun the first major phase of the renovation of the building on the National Mall with the closure of nine galleries. Lane and sidewalk closures around the building on Jefferson Drive and Seventh Street began in early January and will remain in place for the next three years.

The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum has received a $2 million gift from Boeing to sponsor the national Apollo 50th anniversary celebration. Programming began this fall and will span through the anniversary of the first moon landing July 20, with celebrations at the museum and on the National Mall. Boeing’s sponsorship will include support of the “Spirit of Apollo” event commemorating Apollo 8 at the National Cathedral, Dec. 11, the five-day celebration to commemorate Apollo 11, July 16—20, 2019, and a myriad of education and community engagement activities from now through the end of 2019.