Air and Space Museum

This view of Gemini VII from VI-A in December 1965 shows the spacecraft’s orbital configuration.

How Neil Armstrong Avoided Near-Disaster to Make the First Space Docking

Smithsonian curator Michael Neufeld recounts the harrowing details of when Gemini Vlll astronauts faced the first life-threatening, in-flight emergency

The Perseverance captured this image of itself and the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter days before its maiden flight.

What to Expect When Ingenuity Takes Flight This Week on Mars

Nicknamed 'Ginny,' the Mars helicopter is set to take off from the surface of the Red Planet no earlier than April 14

The Soviet MiG-15, a formidable aircraft, shocked the West with its ability to do hit-and-run attacks. The National Air and Space Museum displays one of these jets in the Boeing Aviation Hangar of its Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia.

The Day Soviet Aircraft Attacked American Pilots

On that April 'Black Thursday' 70 years ago, the air war over Korea changed as the Allies scrambled to counter the superior MiG-15 jet fighter

Christina Koch (left) poses for a portrait with Jessica Meir while preparing for their first spacewalk together.

Gender-Inclusive Language Puts an End to the Era of 'Manned' Spaceflight

It is time to honor six decades of women's contributions to spaceflight, says the Air and Space Museum, with unbiased verbs like 'crewed' or 'piloted'

When suburbanites want to limit the number of deer in their area, it can be easier said than done.

How Can Suburbs Control Deer Populations? And More Questions From Our Readers

You've got questions. We've got experts

Aviation pioneer Henry “Hap” Arnold (above: with the Fly Fortress "Memphis Bell") lead the Army Air Force to victory in World War II and later establish the U.S. Air Force as the best in the world.

How Gen. Henry 'Hap' Arnold, the Architect of American Air Power, Overcame His Fear of Flying

Despite his phobia, the five-star general built the U.S. Air Force

Artist’s conception of the Perseverance rover sampling rocks on the floor of Jezero crater. The rover also carries the Ingenuity helicopter (not shown) that can fly in advance of the rover and scout out high priority rocks and outcrops for the rover to visit.

Is There Life on Mars?

Smithsonian scientist John Grant says we have to know what to look for and where to go on the planet for evidence

Artist’s rendition of Ingenuity flying on Mars.

How the Perseverance Rover Paves a Path Into the Future

Three new (and particularly challenging) aspects of the Mars 2020 mission that distinguishes it from previous missions

Could humans be visiting Venus in the future?

Will We Ever Send Humans to Venus?

You’ve got questions. We’ve got experts

"We didn’t think there was a lot of wind-driven activity on Mars because the atmosphere is so thin,” says the Smithsonian's Mariah Baker. “We’ve discovered that Mars is a very active place."

Why a Smithsonian Researcher Is Tracking the Wind on Mars

When Perseverance lands, Mariah Baker will collect data that will prepare the way for crewed missions to the Red Planet

Once Pathfinder bounced to a stop, the cushioned covering deflated and Sojourner rolled out to explore the other-worldly surface like no mission before it.

Recalling the Thrill of Pathfinder's Mission to Mars

Almost three decades ago, Americans were awed by the pitch-perfect airbag-assisted landing and the deploying of the rover Sojourner

The Mars 2020 Perseverance rover and the Ingenuity Helicopter.

Six Ways to Celebrate Perseverance This February

Be a part of NASA's Perseverance rover landing this February with these six ways to celebrate the mission to Mars

Alan Shepard, who was both an astronaut and a golf lover, said he got the idea while training for his Apollo 14 mission. “I thought: What a neat place to whack a golf ball.”

When Astronaut Alan Shepard Hit the Golf Shot Heard 'Round the World

“The Moon is one big sand trap,” the astronaut said after he brought the game to a new frontier

German aviation company Lilium promises its future fleet of air taxis will be inaudible from the ground when flying above 400 meters.

A Fleet of Air Taxis Is Coming to Central Florida by 2025

For future trips from Orlando to Tampa, consider the high road

The F4F Wildcat, a carrier-based aircraft, saw service from the surprise attack at Pearl Harbor in 1941 to the Japanese surrender aboard the USS Missouri nearly four years later.

How the Rugged F4F Wildcat Held the Line During World War II

Designed by Grumman Iron Works, the tough little fighter kept America in the fight during those early dark days in the Pacific Theater

North American species like the Colorado potato beetle and the fall armyworm have become invasive elsewhere.

Have Any North American Species Become Invasive Elsewhere in the World?

You've got question. We've got experts

NASA astronaut and pilot Victor Glover launched from the International Space Station on the agency’s SpaceX Crew-1 mission.

Five Things We Learned From Astronaut Victor Glover

Discover what it's really like to live and work in space! Astronaut Victor Glover shares his thoughts and little-known facts about being an astronaut

Gen. Glen VanHerck, Commander of North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command talks on the phone as part of a video celebrating the NORAD Santa Tracker's 65th year.

Why NORAD Tracks Santa Claus

How did a misdialed phone number lead to a holiday tradition.

Often overshadowed by more famous jets in World War II, the Ar 234 B-2—known as the Blitz, or Lightning—had caught the Allies by surprise when the nine soared through the skies on December 24, 1944.

With Lightning Speed and Agility, Germany's Ar 234 Blitz Jet Bomber Was a Success That Ultimately Failed

Only one is known to survive today and it is in the collections of the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum

Tens of millions of years of bird evolution guided some of the most important elements of human-powered flight.N

How We Lifted Flight From Bird Evolution

The path to flight in modern birds was full of forks, twists and dead ends

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