Airplanes
Hong Kong Is Giving Away 500,000 Free Plane Tickets
The government hopes to boost tourism in the wake of the pandemic and civil unrest
In 1946, a Black Pilot Returned to the Cockpit After a Double Amputation
Neal V. Loving, whose memoir will soon be released by Smithsonian Books, built his own planes, ran a flight school and conducted research for the Air Force
NASA’s Electric Plane Will Take Flight This Year—but Its Future Is Uncertain
The X-57 Maxwell has removed some barriers to electric flight, but its funding expires soon
More Than 350 New UFO Sightings Added to U.S. Government Records
Officials speculate these may include balloons, drones, airborne plastic bags or birds
The Most Anticipated Museum Openings of 2023
Scheduled to launch this year are new institutions dedicated to punk rock, Amelia Earhart and robots
How Quixote’s Windmills Inspired a Spanish Inventor to Envision Vertical Flight
The autogiro finds new fans a century after its first liftoff
This British Zoologist Wants to Reinvent Color
Andrew Parker has produced some of the brightest hues in the world. So, what’s his secret?
U.K. Airports Will Ease Restrictions on Liquids and Laptops in Carry-On Bags
Starting in 2024, travelers won't need to limit liquids to travel-size containers
Ten Strange and Amazing Historical Artifacts We’ve Launched to Space
As spaceflight catapults us into a high-tech future, several missions have made sure to honor the past
Unique NASA Observatory Will Make a Final Flight—to a Museum
SOFIA, a 38,000-pound telescope inside an airplane, spent eight years observing the universe in infrared
Elvis Presley's Private Jet Is Going Up for Auction
The famous singer bought the JetStar in 1976, a year before his death
U.S. Faces Bomb-Sniffing Dog Shortage
The pandemic has exacerbated an already short supply of specially-bred canines that detect explosives
Engineers Pick the Ten Best STEM Toys to Give as Gifts in 2022
Children can build strategy, critical thinking and resilience during expert-approved play
You Can Now Meet Friends and Family at the Gate at This California Airport
Ontario International Airport's new program allows non-ticketed individuals to venture beyond security
A New Look for the National Air and Space Museum
How the Wright Brothers Took Flight
The remarkable story of how the duo grew to become world-changing inventors and international celebrities
The World’s Whitest Paint May Soon Help Cool Airplanes and Spacecraft
The ultra-white color reflects up to 97.9 percent of sunlight and may reduce our reliance on air conditioning
A New Look for the National Air and Space Museum
A New Look for the National Air and Space Museum
Follow the October reopening of America’s most-visited museum with exclusive coverage from Smithsonian magazine
Virgin Atlantic Is Dropping Its Gendered Uniform Policy
The change is part of a growing movement to make travel more inclusive
After the Wright Brothers Took Flight, They Built the World's First Military Airplane
The 1909 Military Flyer is the centerpiece of the "Early Flight" exhibition at the National Air and Space Museum
Electric Planes Are Taking Flight
More airlines are ordering battery-powered aircraft to help reduce their environmental impact
