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National Air and Space Museum

A digital art illustration of the gold and black spacecraft firing its white thrusters to maneuver near a dark, rocky moon, with the reddish surface of Mars visible in the background.

Can a Japanese Spacecraft Unlock the Mystery of Mars' Twin Moons?

Searching for clues on Phobos and Deimos.

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 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 white spacecraft against a black background. The fuselage is spangled with dark blue stars and black circles. A large wing is swiveled up away from the fuselage. The tail of the spacecraft is marked by this identifying number: N328KF.

A Triumphant Test Vehicle Is Celebrated in a New Gallery

SpaceShipOne didn't need NASA to get to space.

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

Black-and-white image of a white man in his early 50s. He is bald and has a mustache. Wearing a white lab coat, he is sitting at a work table supporting a large metal cylinder.

Robert Goddard Was All Business in Launching His Rocket Career

The inventor's handmade tools are now museum artifacts.

An uncrewed spacecraft with three main components is seen orbiting above an asteroid.

An Innovative Spacecraft Makes Contact With an Asteroid

A new book tells the story of the mastermind who directed NASA’s daring OSIRIS-REx mission

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 massive atmospheric vortex on Jupiter is a dizzying swirl of brown, yellow, and green clouds that form a deep tunnel.

Scientists Strive to Explain the Strange Weather on Other Planets

What the swirling storms on alien worlds can tell us about the climate on Earth.

An illustration depicts a large planet orbiting a distant star, amid a cloud of dust and rocky debris.

Patience Is a Virtue for Astronomers Searching for Signs of Extraterrestrial Intelligence

The search for radio signals from an extraterrestrial civilization

An artist's renderign of a cavernous museum exhibit space with a dark ceiling illuminated by images of bright white stars and a spiral galaxy. On the floor of the gallery, numerous visitors wander past glass display cases filled with artifacts.

A New Museum Exhibit Gives a Grand Overview on the History of the Telescope

Behind-the-scenes of the upcoming U.S. National Science Foundation Discovering Our Universe gallery

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