CURRENT ISSUE

August 2020

Features

Prospectors mining ice may change the economy of space travel.

In 1993, before the Air Force permitted women to fly in combat, new pilot Jeannie Flynn requested the F-15.

Morgan Smith

Stories of the airmen in John Swope’s famous World War II photograph of the Omori prison camp.

Can the meanest MiG of the Cold War remain lethal in the 21st century?

New spacecraft will refuel, refurbish, and relocate satellites in orbit—maybe even wash the windshields.

On the eve of World War II, a series of headline-grabbing flights proved the genius of Japan’s airplane designers.

Ken Scott

Viewport

From the Director of the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum

Up to Speed

NASA’s X-59 supersonic research aircraft is coming together for its maiden flight next year.

Up to Speed

Aircraft hazards

At the Museum

As the Saturn V F-1 engine moves into a new gallery, visitors gain a whole new perspective.

I Was There

Caught by Covid away from home, the author finds his way through three airports and across an ocean.

Reviews & Previews

Twenty-four hours a day—every day—U.S. Army soldiers are ready to defend the United States against incoming nuclear missiles.

One More Thing

Compact and agile, it was designed to replace motorbikes on the battlefront.