CURRENT ISSUE
October 2019
Features
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The 21st Century Moon Suit
The date for the next lunar landing has been set, but the astronauts don’t have a thing to wear.
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The Greyhound and the Osprey
Farewell to the Grumman C-2 Greyhound, which has been running supplies at sea for more than 50 years.
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The Only Flying YL-15 Scout
And what, you ask, is a YL-15 Scout?
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Return from a Martian Crater
NASA has spent decades sending probes to other planets. Now it’s trying to go the other way.
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Welcome to the Airport
Some are no longer just the beginning or end of a journey. They’re destinations unto themselves.
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Trans World Hotel
Where else can you find a Lockheed Constellation turned into a cocktail lounge?
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World War II’s Worst Airplane
The product of an ambitious designer and a doomed regime, the Bachem Ba 349 Natter was a radical idea that almost worked.
Departments
An Early Start in STEM
From the Director of the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum
Scouting the Cosmos
A new way to encourage young women to learn about stars and exoplanets.
A Small Success Story
The latest mission, in August 2019, lofted four satellites for the U.S. Air Force and private companies.
Who Was Frank Malina?
A new book examines the controversial life of Frank Malina, who co-founded the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Handle With Care
What it took to get the Concorde safely inside the National Air and Space Museum.
How Dangerous Are Asteroids?
A new book explains the risk, tells us about the scientists tracking near-Earth asteroids, and offers advice on how to defend the planet.