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Artemis II: Geology from Orbit

The Apollo 8 astronauts provided the first and most detailed human observations of the far side of the Moon, all while testing systems and procedures that became critical to the success of future ...
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Let’s talk about the Artemis II SLS rocket!

Visit us in Washington, DC and Chantilly, VA to explore hundreds of the world’s most significant objects in aviation and space history. Free timed-entry passes are required for the Museum in DC.
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National Air and Space Museum Announces Plans To Celebrate 50 Years

The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum is celebrating 50 years since the building in Washington, D.C., opened to the public and will commemorate this milestone throughout 2026. The museum ...
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Resurrection of a Rare World War II Flight Jacket

Janice Christensen is remembered for her service during the war. Like thousands of other American pilots in World War II, Janice Christensen received a government-issued flight jacket. Christensen was ...
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Fred Whipple Figured Out How to Hide Airplanes From Enemy Radar

How chaff was invented in World War II. In the summer of 2004, I met one of the great astronomers of the 20th century at his Boston home. I was there to help him clean out his front hall closet. Let ...
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Air Crews Remember the Reliable KC-10 with Affection

After decades of service, a legendary tanker says farewell. I’m seated in the tail of a U.S. Air Force KC-10 that is climbing to 25,000 feet somewhere over Big Sur. Looking out from the boom ...
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The Science Never Stops

Our museum collection is sometimes a working one. That means that scientists come to do aviation or space research using objects in the Museum. Sometimes it's as simple as an engineer coming after ...
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A New Look for a New Military Service: General Raymond’s U.S. Space Force Uniform

When Gen. John W. “Jay” Raymond reported to the Pentagon for his first day as Chief of Space Operations for the United States Space Force (USSF) in 2019, he began the process of standing up the first ...
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“General Joe”: Remembering Pilot and Astronaut Joe Engle

Just months following the passing of Richard Truly, pilot of Space Shuttle Columbia on STS-2, the world has lost that mission’s commander. Astronaut, test pilot, aeronautical engineer, and the first ...
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Ellison Shoji Onizuka: The First Asian American in Space

When NASA astronaut Ellison Onizuka rode Space Shuttle Discovery into space on shuttle mission STS-51-C in 1985, he made history on several counts. He was the first Asian American astronaut, the first ...
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What is a Biplane?

Visit us in Washington, DC and Chantilly, VA to explore hundreds of the world’s most significant objects in aviation and space history. Free timed-entry passes are required for the Museum in DC.