All Stories

A look at the NASA's manned maneuvering unit (MMU) in detail.

Right now there are seven women on Mars... kind of.

Right now there are seven women on Mars... kind of.

In 2024, Jeanette Epps set the mark as the African American astronaut who has spent the most time in space. 

What's new in aviation and space.

Have you ever wondered how astronauts on the ISS or elsewhere in space vote? We'll tell you exactly how to cast a ballot from 250 miles up in orbit on AirSpace.

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. 

Michael López-Alegría, also known as “L-A,” is one of America’s most experienced astronauts. He has completed six space missions so far and commanded three of them, spending 296 days (about 9 and a half months) in space. He shares the current United States record for spacewalks with 10 total. And he isn’t finished yet.