Stories of daring, stories of technological feats, stories of prevailing against the odds ... these are the stories we tell at the National Air and Space Museum. Dive in to the stories below to discover, learn, and be inspired. 

Showing 1 - 10 of 494

September 23, 2024 “If You Can See It, You Can Be It.” Story | Air & Space Quarterly

An Interview with Capt. Theresa Claiborne, the first African American woman pilot in the U.S. Air Force.

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September 23, 2024 A Breath of Fresh Air Story | Air & Space Quarterly

Recent discoveries and news in aviation and space. 

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September 23, 2024 Who Was Bill Anders? Story | Air & Space Quarterly

Remembering astronaut Bill Anders.

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August 09, 2024 The Martin K-III Kitten Story

When the K-III’s designer James Vernon Martin offered the diminutive aircraft to the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum in 1924, he presented it as “the first aeroplane in the entire world to incorporate the retractable chassis.”  The aircraft is a one-of-kind, experimental World War I era single-seat scout biplane.

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August 05, 2024 The Man Who Brought Home Earth: Stories of Bill Anders Story

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. 

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July 31, 2024 Soaring Into History: Al Parker’s Record-Breaking Flight in the Sisu Sailplane Story

On July 31, 1964, Al Parker flew from Odessa, Texas, to Kimball, Nebraska, in the Sisu sailplane, which is on display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. It was the first time anyone had flown a motorless aircraft more than 621 miles nonstop.

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July 25, 2024 “General Joe”: Remembering Pilot and Astronaut Joe Engle Story

Maj. Gen. Joe Engle's experiences as a test pilot of both the X-15 aircraft and Space Shuttle orbiters Enterprise, Columbia, and Discovery made him the first person to ever fly two winged vehicles to space, amongst his many noteworthy achievements. The Museum was most honored to host him as the earliest Space Shuttle commander to attend the arrival ceremony of Discovery at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in 2012.

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July 25, 2024 AirSpace Season 9 Bonus! My Mom the Rocket Scientist Story | AirSpace Podcast

Our conversation with Jack Black and his brother Neil Siegal about their Mother, Judith Love Cohen was too good just to give you just the taste from the end of our Star Search episode. 

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July 25, 2024 AirSpace Season 9, Episode 6: Star Search Story | AirSpace Podcast

There are a lot of air and space celebrities; pilots, astronauts, engineers, etc, etc. But there's another category of celebrities that are famous for other things but also have surprising ties to air or space.

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July 19, 2024 Dr. Edward C. Stone's Contributions to Aerospace Story

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.

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