Discovery Stations encourage informal learning through active looking, discussion, and hands-on activities related to aviation, space exploration, astronomy, and planetary geology. The carts provide interactive fun for all ages. Discovery Stations will be available Friday through Tuesday between 11:00 am and 3:00 pm, subject to staff availability. Below are some of the discovery stations you might encounter during your visit.
A family looks at examples of astronauts gloves.
 

Spacesuit (EMU)

At our most popular discovery station, visitors learn how the Spacesuit, or Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) keeps astronauts safe as they work in the vacuum of space. Visitors will have an up-close encounter with a real space suit, gloves, boots, and additional garments needed for space walks.

How Things Fly Explainers Demonstrate Forces of Flight
Visitors learn about air pressure during a Forces of Flight demonstration in the How Things Fly exhibition at the National Air and Space Museum's National Mall Building.

Principles of Flight

How do airplanes fly? At this station, visitors learn how the forces of lift, weight, drag, and thrust make human flight possible and see each of these forces in action. This interactive discovery station introduces visitors to air pressure, aerodynamics, physics and more!

Living and Working in Space Discovery Station
Visitors to the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center learn about life in space at the Living and Working in Space Discovery Station. The photo was taken at the 2010 Women in Aviation Family Day.

Living and Working in Space

How do you eat in space? What do astronauts wear while on a mission? Were things different on the Apollo missions than they are on shuttle missions? At this station, visitors explore artifacts that answer these and other questions and discuss the innovations and adaptations that allow humans to live and work in the hazardous environment of space.

Black and white historic photo of Wright Brothers' first flight

Wright Brothers

This popular discovery station brings the story of the Wright Brothers to life.  Visitors play both historian and engineer, discussing how the invention of the airplane changed the world as well as examining the engineering innovations used in the construction of the Wright Flyer.

A number of young people engage with a card showing how a black hole works.

Blackholes

Our Black Hole Discovery Station teaches about space, time, and light and how they are affected by black holes.  The hands on activity depicts a star, an observatory, the fabric of spacetime, and a photon of light and how gravitational lensing impacts how we see that light.