Skip to main content

Subscribe to Smithsonian magazine and get a FREE tote.

National Air and Space Museum

In this pastel drawing, 14 bluish white rays radiate out and upward from a dark half-moon shape flanked by trees. White stars are visible in the night sky.

These Depictions of Celestial Wonders Helped Make Astronomy Mainstream

Before we had access to stunning photos of our galaxy from ground- and space-based telescopes, visionaries like Étienne Trouvelot's captured celestial magic through their art

06I_FALL2023_UpToSpeed-Foam331_NASM2023-02093_LIVE.jpg

First-Responder Rescue Truck From 9/11 Goes on Display at the National Air and Space Museum

Foam 331's new display at the Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center honors first responders.

Multiple aircraft are on exhibit, including five suspended from the ceiling. Displayed on the floor is the Lockheed SR-71, viewed from the rear--the exhaust nozzles of the powerful jet engines in full view.

Reflections on the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center as It Turns 20

The National Air and Space Museum director reflects on the Udvar-Hazy Center's two-decade history.

Dorothy Cochrane with Extra 260

Why Would a Museum Hang an Airplane Upside Down?

The inverted display of Patty Wagstaff's Extra 260 celebrates her aerobatic career

A20070119001cp02-2.jpg

Barbie: An Astronaut for the Ages

There is perhaps no résumé in existence quite as long as Barbie’s. One of her oldest and arguably most iconic careers is as an astronaut. Let's take a look through some of her most iconic space looks, spanning 1965 to today.

86T0008A_1_0.jpg

Ground Control to Major Tom: How David Bowie Soundtracked the Moon Landing

On July 11, 1969 – only 5 days before Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Buzz Aldrin set out on their journey to the Moon – a relatively unknown British musician named David Bowie released a single titled Space Oddity.

6757953~small_0.jpg

Preserving Launch Infrastructure

Launch vehicles require a vast ground-based support system, which is an important part of the stories told at the National Air and Space Museum. Collecting these objects is challenging due to their size and reuse in subsequent programs.

Categories
Archive