All Stories

Our curators talk about their favorite artifacts. The SR-71’s undeniable wow factor.

Discover the history of the Cuban Missile Crisis. 

In modern society, we often take the daily weather report for granted. We turn on the news, open the weather app on our smart phone, or look up our region’s weather on the internet. Have you ever thought about how meteorologists predict the forecast? For a big part of the answer, we need to look to the sky. 

During World War I, a new form of espionage took flight—literally. Photography from aircraft was introduced as a new way to spy.

Picture the Earth from above. In your mind's eye, what do you see? Today, we have access to air and space technology that lets us see various views of the Earth with ease. 

Our Museum recently acquired a first-generation HawkEye 360 Pathfinder satellite. The three Pathfinders and follow-on satellites form the first commercial satellite constellation ever to detect, characterize, and geolocate a broad range of radio frequency signals from transmitters on the ground and sea.

Learn about the integral role speed played during the Cold War.

A former Blackbird pilot now volunteers at the National Air and Space Museum.

Combining flying and photography skills, Osa Johnson and Mary Light both flew on documentary missions, photographing remote areas in Africa. Discover their stories.  

Curator Michael Hankins examines the history of the World War II fighter plane P-38 Lightning and its connections with the fan-favorite SR-71 Blackbird.