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Air & Space Magazine

Fifty-four truckloads of manuscripts, film, and more moved from cramped quarters at the Garber facility to the archives’ spacious new home at the Udvar-Hazy Center.

The Archives’ Big Move

Fifty-four truckloads of irreplaceable aviation history make the 35-mile trek to the National Air and Space Museum’s Udvar-Hazy Center.

The author exploring a glacier in Alaska. Scientists study icy terrains and other environments on Earth to understand similar features on Mars.

Solar System Detective

As a planetary geologist, I search for clues to what happened on faraway worlds.

The pioneers: Captain Carl Crane, who invented the autoland system, Captain George Holloman, and engineer Raymond Stout (left to right).

The First Autolanding

Two pilots won a trophy in 1937 for keeping their hands off the controls.

The MiG-15 (here over Korea) was a target of intelligence — as well as fighter — squadrons.

The Original Men in Black?

UFO investigations may have been the least exciting duty for the Air Intelligence Service Squadron.

Though he originally supported the war, Steinbeck “changed his mind totally about Vietnam” during his stay, said the author’s wife in an interview after his death.

Steinbeck’s Dispatches From Vietnam

In 1966, the author of The Grapes of Wrath met a new working class: Hueys, Hercs, and Spooky.

Retired from the Hungarian Air Force, the An-2 acquired in 1989 by the Planes of Fame Air Museum in Chino, California, lumbered over the landscape on exhibition flights. Today, it’s on static display.

Antonovs in America

Where the world’s biggest biplane is under-employed.

Tracks left by the Opportunity rover created a Mars moment for scientist Gian Ori, who picks the image as his favorite Mars photo.

Mars Journal

From the people who know Mars best, a collection of close encounters.

Mike Carr

Mars Mike

An elder statesman of space exploration wants pieces of Mars brought here.

A Pesek painting of Mars as viewed from its moon, Phobos.

Why Earthlings Are Attracted to Mars

How science fiction and history keep pulling us to the Red Planet.

Will Wright’s do-it-yourself virtual communities are the best-selling PC games of all time.

First Neighborhood on Mars

The creator of The Sims imagines us on the Red Planet.

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Invaders From Earth

Will any of these robots win a trip to Mars?

After 1,000 Martian days, Spirit would have finally reached Space Mountain. Click here to see the full-size map.

If Spirit Had Gone to Disney World

For all its traveling, NASA’s last Mars rover only covered about the same ground as a familiar theme park.

Equipped to explore the rough terrain on Mars, the rover Curiosity will try to determine if the planet was once capable of sustaining life.

Emissary

Never send a man to do a robot’s mission.

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One Giant Leap for Spider-kind

A jumping spider finds that hunting in zero-g is not a problem

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Newt Space

Does the history of two early pioneers of aviation offer an analogy for spaceflight?

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Black Hawk Rescue

A UH-60 Black Hawk medical evacuation in Afghanistan’s Ghanzi Province, July 23, 2012.

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Divert? Stick to the Plan?

The decision to divert to an alternate airport requires a close watch on the fuel gauge.

It's not just the river: Royal Navy Bomb Disposal team divers lift a World War II-era V-2 rocket from the seabed at Harwich, Essex, in 2012. The rocket was donated to the local sailing club, which had reported the rocket's location to the Essex Police.

What’s Under the Thames?

Almost 100 aircraft were lost in the river during World War II alone, and it’s not certain how many are still to be recovered

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Extinguishing Exercise

U.S. Air Force firefighters practice their skills during a simulated runway fire.

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Olympics Overhead

T-minus three days until the 2012 Games begin in London. 

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