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 199

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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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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June 20, 2024 Diamonds in the Sky Story | Air & Space Quarterly

Amanda Lee is the first woman to fly jet formations as a Blue Angel.

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June 20, 2024 The Countess Who Crossed Hitler Story | Air & Space Quarterly

The mystery surrounding the shoot-down of Melitta von Stauffenberg aircraft over the skies of Germany has finally been solved.

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May 22, 2024 AirSpace Season 9, Episode 2: Tiny Jumper Story | AirSpace Podcast

Georgia "Tiny" Broadwick was 15 years old when she first jumped out of a hot air balloon with a parachute in 1908. Over the next 14 years she would make over 1,000 jumps, first out of balloons and then as the first woman to jump from an airplane.

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April 23, 2024 Gene Nora Jessen: Much More than the Woman in Space Program Story

It’s 1961. You’re a 24-year-old pilot. You’re also one of 25 women invited to undergo the rigorous testing that the Mercury 7 astronauts went through. You are one of the 13 women that pass, greatly defying everyone’s expectations. Most people would dine out on this story for the rest of their lives. Gene Nora Jessen, however, isn’t “most people.”

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April 16, 2024 Celebrating Jerrie Mock, the First Solo World Flight by a Woman, and All Women Earth Rounders Story

Geraldine “Jerrie” Mock touched down in her Cessna 180 at Port Columbus Airport in Ohio, on April 17, 1964, completing the first round-the-world solo flight by a woman. Having departed on March 19, she accomplished her 23,103 mile (37,180 kilometer) journey in 29 days, 11 hours, and 59 minutes.

 

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March 29, 2024 Pick A Card: Interpreting the 1929 Women’s Air Derby with Trading Cards Story

The Museum’s Explainers—a cohort of high school and college student interpreters—are working together to create an original set of “trading cards” featuring images of the 1929 Women’s Air Derby contestants and details about their participation. The Explainers hope to inspire genuine, lasting personal connections with the rich, but often unsung, history of women’s active participation in aviation and space.

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March 27, 2024 Military Women Become Astronauts Story

Something was different about the class of astronaut candidates introduced in January 1990. Eighteen men and five women emerged from almost 2,500 applicants as Astronaut Group 13; seven were pilots and 16 were mission specialists. That was not unusual. The difference was that three of the women were military officers.

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