The National Air and Space Museum will present the next lecture in the GE Aviation Series May 3 with Jon and Patricia Sharp, a married couple who design, build, test and race their own planes. In “Chasing the Dream, Not the Competition,” the Sharps will talk about their original aircraft, Nemesis, the most successful aircraft in air-racing history, and the records they have set and races they’ve won. The lectures is free to the public, but tickets are required. It will begin at 8 p.m. at the museum in Washington, D.C., and will be webcast.

“Artist Soldiers: Artistic Expression in the First World War” will open at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., April 6. Through the perspectives of professional artists who were recruited by the U.S. Army and of soldiers who created artwork, “Artist Soldiers” examines the emergence in WWI of war art that captured the moment realistically by firsthand participants. The opening of this collaborative exhibition with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History marks the 100th anniversary of the United States’ entry into war April 6, 1917.

The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum 2017 Trophy will be awarded to Peter Theisinger for Lifetime Achievement. In the category of Current Achievement, the Trophy will be awarded to the South Pole Rescue Team from Kenn Borek Air, Ltd. The recipients will receive their awards March 29 at a black-tie dinner in Washington, D.C.

The Apollo 11 command module Columbia—the only portion of the historic spacecraft to complete the first mission to land a man on the moon and safely return him to Earth—will leave the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum for the first time in 46 years for the traveling exhibition “Destination Moon: The Apollo 11 Mission.”

The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum will observe the 100th anniversary of the United States’ entry into World War I with artistic, interactive and educational offerings. “Artist Soldiers: Artistic Expression in the First World War,” a collaborative exhibition with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, will open April 6. A free WWI film series begins Feb. 17 at both of the museum’s buildings, and online presentations and interactive activities will be available to enthusiasts near and far through the museum website and GO FLIGHT app.

The National Air and Space Museum marks the 10th anniversary of its “Heritage Family Day” series and announces the 2017 programs. The series celebrates ethnic and cultural diversity, with new offerings and opportunities for families and visitors alike. The family days coincide with national observances, focusing specifically on the contributions that diverse communities have made to aviation and space exploration. These activity-filled days take place at the museum’s National Mall building and its Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va., and begin in February 2017. Support for the “Heritage Family Day” series is provided by Northrop Grumman Corp.

The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum has named Kathy Sullivan as the 2017 Charles A. Lindbergh Chair of Aerospace History. Sullivan has served as Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans & Atmosphere and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association Administrator since March 2014 and has a long career as a distinguished scientist, astronaut and oceanographer. She will begin her fellowship March 1 and will focus her research on the Hubble Space Telescope.

The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum will open the exhibition “Clouds in a Bag: The Evelyn Way Kendall Ballooning and Early Aviation Collection” Jan. 28 at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, in Chantilly, Va. This will be the first time these early aviation artifacts will go on public display since the Smithsonian acquired the collection in 2014.

The suit Alan Eustace wore during his record-breaking freefall jump in Oct. 2014 is now on display at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum. Visitors to the museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va. can view the suit and the balloon equipment module in the Boeing Aviation Hangar.

Meredith Wilson’s classic holiday song says, “Mom and Dad can hardly wait for school to start again.” But that does not have to be the case; students and their families can make the most of winter break at the National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va.