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National Air and Space Museum

A grainy, green-tinted, circular view through a night vision scope shows a helicopter flying over a dark landscape at night.

After a Tragedy in 2002, Special Forces Soldiers Learned That Armed Drones Are a Combat Necessity

Why the Predator is here to stay.

A 65-year-old man dressed in a blue suit poses in front of a military jet on a rain-soaked ramp.

Flying the F-15 Propelled Cesar Rodriguez to a Remarkable Combat Career

A retired fighter pilot watches his jet roar through the sky one last time.

A photo illustration of a three-quarter view of a sliver aircraft with blue wings with blueprint in the background.

The Quest to Replicate the Splendor of the H-1 Racer

The aeronautical vision of Howard Hughes continues to beguile us.

A photo collage consists of three black-and-white images taken in World War II: an airplane flying at high altitude, a man sitting inside the cabin of a bomber, and a large-dish ground radar.

Fred Whipple Figured Out How to Hide Airplanes From Enemy Radar

How chaff was invented in World War II.

A white man in his 30s sits in the cockpit of a World War II-era military airplane. He is smiling and wearing sunglasses and a ballcap.

On the Road in Oshkosh, Wisconsin

The Smithsonian offers a pop-up experience for visitors to the world's biggest airshow.

An upward-looking shot shows a dark-colored, single-engine Stinson Reliant monoplane with red markings on its wing, suspended indoors from the ceiling of a multi-story building with a glass atrium roof.

See These Pioneering Air- and Spacecraft in Your Town

Rare Smithsonian artifacts are on display at museums across the country.

A black-and-white historical photograph from circa 1931 shows Albert Einstein with Edwin Hubble and other astronomers standing on a walkway in front of the large dome of the Mount Wilson Observatory.

Who Is the Man Who Discovered the Universe?

A century ago, Edwin Hubble began the race to the edge of the cosmos

A white woman in her 30s sits on the launchpad, with the space shuttle (configured for launch) behind her. She has long brown hair and is looking to the side.

A New Book Explains the Delay in Hiring Women as Astronauts

Find out how NASA’s astronaut selection process has evolved.

Two aluminum cans are photographed against a dark background. One can has a red, white, and blue logo and a white plastic cap. The other can has a red and white logo.

The World Is Still Waiting for the Great Space Cola

Being in orbit is great. Not so much if you want a carbonated beverage

A close-up, head-on view of the nose and cockpit section of a gray U.S. Air Force KC-10 Extender aircraft parked in an aircraft boneyard, with mountains in the distant background.

Air Crews Remember the Reliable KC-10 With Affection

After decades of service, a legendary tanker says farewell.

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