Space & Aviation
Explore Space & Aviation across the Smithsonian through stories, events, and exhibitions. Use the filters to browse by format, then bookmark events and exhibitions to keep track of what you want to visit or attend.
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The “50 for 50” artifact for New Hampshire is a letter from the Archives written by New Hampshire astronaut Christa McAuliffe. “Atmosphere” author Taylor Jenkins Reid reflects on McAuliffe’s legacy.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the opening of the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC. Join us to celebrate the last 50 years and look forward to the next 50.
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The United States banned supersonic flights over its land in 1973 due to their ear-splitting sonic booms. Experts are building a plane that should travel at those speeds but create only gentle thumps.
Astronomers have found that the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way is blowing a hot cosmic wind — something scientists have been hunting for over 50 years.
The first Navy Flight School graduate to be selected for F-14 Tomcat training, Capt. Dale "Snort" Snodgrass was the Navy's 1985 Fighter Pilot of the Year. The former Top Gun instructor has also logged the most hours as an F-14 Pilot.
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The blue moon will be the second of two full moons in the same month, a coincidence that only takes place about every two and a half years. It will also appear to be slightly smaller and dimmer than the average full moon.
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The first three missions are targeted to launch this year. They’ll involve lunar landers developed by several aerospace companies, including Blue Origin, and deliver scientific instruments and a rover.
The “50 for 50” artifact from Massachusetts is Norman Rockwell’s The Longest Step (Grissom and Young Suiting Up), painted by the famed American painter in his studio in Massachusetts.