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National Air and Space Museum

Artemis 1 Orion spacecraft with Earth and Moon in the distance.

Artemis II’s Long Countdown

A space historian explains why it has taken over 50 years to return to the Moon.

Dramatically-shot portrait of a white male astronaut in an orange spacesuit.

Jeremy R. Hansen: First Canadian In Deep Space

Born in 1976 in London, Ontario, Jeremy Hansen cannot remember a time when he did not dream of being an astronaut. And now, as member of the crew of Artemis 2, he will see the far side of the Moon as they loop around it.

Dramatically-shot portrait of a white female astronaut in an orange spacesuit.

Christina Koch: From Michigan To The Moon

Christina Koch built a solid foundation of achievements to qualify her for the role of mission specialist on the first human mission to reach the Moon since 1972.

Dramatically-shot portrait of a Black male astronaut in an orange spacesuit.

Victor Glover: From California To The Moon

Victor Glover has spent a lifetime building the experience that now prepares him to help lead humanity’s return to the Moon and demonstrate how humans can live and work in deep space.

Reid Wiseman

Reid Wiseman: Artemis 2 Commander

Leading the intrepid explorers in the Artemis 2 mission is U.S. Navy Captain and NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman, mission commander.

A photograph featuring the conical silver Orion spacecraft and cylindrical European Service Module in the foreground as it travels through space. In the background the Moon and then the Earth can be seen in the far distance.

What is the Artemis Program?

People may know Artemis as NASA’s return-to-the-Moon program. However, it is much more than a rerun of Project Apollo.

Four astronauts (a white man and a black man on the left and a white woman and a white man on the right) in blue astronaut flight suits stand outside on grass with water behind them. The orange SLS rocket can be seen in the distance between them.

What is Artemis 2?

Soon, four astronauts will launch on a mission to the vicinity of the moon for the first time in over 50 years. The mission, called Artemis 2, is the second mission — and first crewed mission — of NASA’s Artemis program.

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 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

Photographed against a dark blue background is a studio image of a set of cream-colored ceramic dishware bearing a pattern of star-shapes in blue, yellow, and green. There are several pieces, including a platter, a gravy boat with a ladle, a creamer and s

This Space Age Tableware Is Now a Prized Collectible

A passion for space exploration influenced how one family set the dinner table

Photographed against a black background is a robot in profile wearing a silver uniform and golden-colored helmet.

A Robot Just Might Be an Astronaut's Best Friend

When they needed a helping hand in orbit, astronauts could count on NASA’s reliable Robonaut.

A museum display features a statue of a male astronaut standing with his arms outstretched in front of a metal sculpture lit by red and purple lighting. A museum visitor stands in a similar pose in front of the statue.

A Cultural History of Soviet Cosmonauts

A new book explores the legacy of the Soviet Union’s human spaceflight program

A small silver pin shows a smiling Snoopy, a cartoon dog, wearing a spacesuit with a large clear glass helmet, performing his iconic happy beagle dance.

The Story of Snoopy in Space

How a cartoon beagle helped popularize NASA’s Apollo program

Underside view of space shuttle in flight with blue sky background.

Space Shuttle Astronauts Tell All

A new book by NASA astronaut Tom Jones shares intriguing stories about the agency’s longest-running space exploration program

The pitch black night is illuminated by a bright white-hot rocket engine plume, which illuminates clouds of smoke surrounding the launch pad.

How Commercial Landers Are Changing Lunar Exploration

These companies are taking a faster, cheaper approach to landing on the moon

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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.

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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.

Michael Collins, the Museum's third director, stands before the steel skeleton of the new National Air and Space Museum in July 1974.

Carrying the Fire

National Air and Space Museum acting director Christopher U. Browne reflects on the life and legacy of one of his predecessors, Apollo 11 astronaut and former Museum director Michael Collins.

Michael Collins' NASA astronaut portrait.

Remembering Michael Collins

The National Air and Space Museum looks back at the extraordinary life of pilot, astronaut, and statesman Michael Collins, who has died at the age of 90.

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