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Thu, October 18 2018

Six Space Missions to Watch For

The next few months will also bring some exciting developments in space science. There are new missions about to launch and spacecraft that will reach their destinations after long journeys. Here are six out-of-this-world things to look for in the news over the next few months.

InSight Probes the ‘Inner Space' of Mars

Fri, October 12 2018

What First Man Got Right About Neil Armstrong

First Man is almost certainly is the most accurate fictional depiction of human spaceflight in the 1960s ever made. A curator weighs in on what the film got right and wrong.

“Air & Scare” Takes Over the National Air and Space Museum’s Udvar-Hazy Center

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.

Fri, October 12 2018

How Fast Was the Fastest Air Racer in 1925?

Cyrus K. Bettis was a leading US Army Air Service pilot in the 1920s that became the world’s fastest air racer in 1925. In July 2018, members of his family visited the Museum to donate artifacts and archival materials documenting his life near the airplane that he flew and the prizes that he won.

National Air and Space Museum Announces “Surprising Roles for Drones” Lecture

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.

Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum to Begin Seven-Year Renovation

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.

Fri, September 28 2018

Ideas That Defy: Sailing on an Alien Sea

We all have ideas that defy in our back pocket. My personal idea that defies, the thing I dream of humans achieving, is sailing on an alien sea.

“Dreams Soar” at the National Air and Space Museum’s Upcoming Fall GE Aviation Lecture

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.

Mon, September 24 2018

Celebrating Air and Space's #IdeasThatDefy

The National Air and Space Museum is full of ideas that defy. Ideas that defy any obstacle, ideas that defy our expectations, ideas that literally defy gravity. Follow us as we discover the remarkable, the audacious, the outrageous, the #IdeasThatDefy.

1903 Wright Flyer First Flight, Kitty Hawk, N.C.

Thu, September 20 2018

Transcribing Francis Gary Powers’ Soviet Prison Diary

The U-2 Incident and Francis Gary Powers captured the world’s attention in 1960. Now, 58 years later, volunteers all around the world can transcribe his words.

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