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National Air and Space Museum

Smithsonian Voices

Eclipse 2017_070.jpg

Beyond Totality: Appreciating the Partial Eclipse

If you can’t be in the path of totality for a solar eclipse, don’t lose heart! A partial solar eclipse is still worth experiencing.

Shauna Edson | April 2, 2024
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Celebrate the April 8 Solar Eclipse With the National Air and Space Museum

On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will cross North America. For those not within the path of totality, a partial eclipse will be visible from everywhere in the contiguous United States. Learn about the science and safety of eclipses with the National Air and Space Museum.

Amy Stamm | March 28, 2024
A young woman wearing a U.S. Navy olive-green flightsuit and black combat boots perches next to the cockpit of her F/A-18C miltary jet. "Lt Sharon Cummins" is stenciled onto the side of the airplane.

Meet the First American Women to Fly Combat Missions

An Air & Space Quarterly exclusive reveals the names of five pioneering women in military aviation.

Mike Hankins | February 8, 2024
The Boeing Aviation Hangar at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center is a vast open space filled with airplanes on both the floor and hanging from the ceiling, tilted at angles that convey the impression of flight.

20 Years of the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center

The National Air and Space Museum’s second location celebrates a milestone anniversary

| February 2, 2024
Walt Disney, an senior man in a white button up short-sleeved shirt, with a tie and slacks, greets a small crowd of people in front of his airplane, which is large enough it extends out of frame and is white with orange and blue stripes.

Yes, Walt Disney’s Private Jet Was Called Mickey Mouse One

Disney’s Gulfstream gave him the freedom to create entertainment genius

Dave Kindy | January 26, 2024
Peregrine Lunar Lander

This Object Represents a New Approach to Moon Exploration

The Peregrine test model is the first commercial lunar lander in the National Air and Space Museum collection

Mark Strauss | January 22, 2024
Underside view of space shuttle in flight with blue sky background.

Space Shuttle Astronauts Tell All

A new book by NASA astronaut Tom Jones shares intriguing stories about the agency’s longest-running space exploration program

Diane Tedeschi | January 12, 2024
The pitch black night is illuminated by a bright white-hot rocket engine plume, which illuminates clouds of smoke surrounding the launch pad.

How Commercial Landers Are Changing Lunar Exploration

These companies are taking a faster, cheaper approach to landing on the moon

Kellie B. Gormly | January 8, 2024
Chuck Yeager's Ribbon Bar

What Chuck Yeager's Medals and Ribbons Tell Us About His Career

A ribbon bar in the National Air and Space Museum's collection offers a timeline of the famed aviator’s illustrious military career

Reilly Tifft | January 5, 2024
A black-and-white photo, tinged light brown, shows around 3/4 of massive airship as it exits a pitch black hangar opening.

Are We in an Airship Renaissance?

One hundred years after the first U.S. Navy airship took to the skies, zeppelins and blimps are poised to make a comeback

Mark Piesing | January 2, 2024
In this pastel drawing, 14 bluish white rays radiate out and upward from a dark half-moon shape flanked by trees. White stars are visible in the night sky.

These Depictions of Celestial Wonders Helped Make Astronomy Mainstream

Before we had access to stunning photos of our galaxy from ground- and space-based telescopes, visionaries like Étienne Trouvelot's captured celestial magic through their art

Carolyn Russo | December 27, 2023
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First-Responder Rescue Truck From 9/11 Goes on Display at the National Air and Space Museum

Foam 331's new display at the Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center honors first responders.

Mark Strauss | December 23, 2023
Multiple aircraft are on exhibit, including five suspended from the ceiling. Displayed on the floor is the Lockheed SR-71, viewed from the rear--the exhaust nozzles of the powerful jet engines in full view.

Reflections on the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center as It Turns 20

The National Air and Space Museum director reflects on the Udvar-Hazy Center's two-decade history.

Christopher U. Browne | December 15, 2023
Dorothy Cochrane with Extra 260

Why Would a Museum Hang an Airplane Upside Down?

The inverted display of Patty Wagstaff's Extra 260 celebrates her aerobatic career

Dorothy Cochrane | November 19, 2023
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Barbie: An Astronaut for the Ages

There is perhaps no résumé in existence quite as long as Barbie’s. One of her oldest and arguably most iconic careers is as an astronaut. Let's take a look through some of her most iconic space looks, spanning 1965 to today.

Jenna Bertschi | July 19, 2023
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Ground Control to Major Tom: How David Bowie Soundtracked the Moon Landing

On July 11, 1969 – only 5 days before Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Buzz Aldrin set out on their journey to the Moon – a relatively unknown British musician named David Bowie released a single titled Space Oddity.

Matthew Shindell | July 11, 2023
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Preserving Launch Infrastructure

Launch vehicles require a vast ground-based support system, which is an important part of the stories told at the National Air and Space Museum. Collecting these objects is challenging due to their size and reuse in subsequent programs.

Colleen E. Anderson | July 10, 2023
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Five Things On Board NASA's Artemis I Mission

Although the Artemis I mission doesn't have any astronauts riding along, there are other items on board to commemorate the occasion and conduct research.

Amy Stamm | November 21, 2022
Sean Tucker Flying Challenger III

Aerobatic Pilot Sean Tucker and Orbis International Will Speak at National Air and Space Museum

On December 1, Tucker appears at the Museum in D.C.; members of the Orbis International team will speak at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, November 17. Both lectures will be streamed live on YouTube

Amy Stamm | November 10, 2022
Prosthetic Spock ear tips against black background

The Iconic Ears of Mr. Spock

A set of prosthetic ear tips made for Leonard Nimoy to portray Mr. Spock in “Star Trek: The Original Series” have joined the collection of the National Air and Space Museum.

Amy Stamm | December 16, 2021
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