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The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum is fortunate to care for and display examples of some of the most historically significant human spacecraft, from NASA’s Mercury, Gemini, Apollo capsules, to Space Shuttle Discovery and Scaled Composite’s SpaceShipOne. Soon, the Museum will welcome another important vehicle, which represents a new way of accessing space for non-professional astronauts.

Gemini’s paraglider wing.

The story of NASM's three-foot-tall doll wearing a scaled-down copy of the real Mercury spacesuit. 

In total, six of unique Space Shuttle orbiters were built but Discovery stands out with the greatest flight history record: 39 missions and 365 total days spent in space. That’s quite a feat for the journeys the orbiter took, but it’s also a testament to the team that made each of those flights possible. On its 40th anniversary, Discovery’s curator Jennifer Levasseur takes a look at features that distinguish the vehicle from the other orbiters and looks back on its first flight and crew.

Maj. Gen. William A. Anders was an Air Force pilot and a U.S. Ambassador to Norway. He served his country in various other roles, including as the first chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and founded a museum that celebrates aviation history. But he’s best known as one of three astronauts who flew on the Apollo 8 mission in 1968, during which he captured one of the most iconic and influential photographs in history. 

Ed Stone’s long and distinguished career in space science connects to many of the planetary exploration objects displayed in the galleries at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum. That so many of the Museum’s objects have connections to his professional achievements illustrates Stone’s significant legacy in space science and exploration.

It is perhaps one of the best-known images of the 20th century. Floating free against the velvety blackness of space was Bruce McCandless II. What is perhaps less well-known was the fact that, underneath the gold visor of his helmet, McCandless was wearing glasses.  

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On June 7, 2024, Gen. William A. Anders died at age 90. Bill Anders dedicated his life to aerospace, first as a pilot and then as an astronaut, and his life was filled with inspirational moments for us to reflect upon as we mourn his passing. 

Born in Weatherford, Oklahoma, to a dentist and a former schoolteacher on September 17, 1930, Lt. Gen. Thomas Stafford (USAF) grew up under the first transcontinental airline route. As a child, he would watch silver DC-3s streak across the sky and think “I want to do that.”