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.

522 results
An artistic conception of a spacecraft on a purpleish background.
Scientists swapped three of the probe’s heating devices for ones that use less energy, and they might do the same with Voyager 1. Both spacecraft launched almost 50 years ago.
Fiery, swirling plasma on the sun's surface.
Observed directly in the solar photosphere for the first time, the vortices might braid magnetic fields, thought to be responsible for energy buildups and eventual outbursts.
This cosmic space-“craft” reveals the star formation region known as 30 Doradus, or the Tarantula Nebula.
An illustration of craft supplies with the text "Craft Time Telescope"
Make a pretend telescope out of a paper towel roll to help you focus on the night sky.
A colorful layered image of the Tarantula Nebula full of cosmic images.
Like a collage made of layered sheets of colored cellophane, a vibrant new image layers observations of a famous star-forming nebula from NASA space telescopes.
The Black Hole Explorer (BHEX) collaboration promises to learn more about black holes than we've ever seen, including imaging the photon ring that surrounds a black hole and holds the fingerprints of what's just beyond its event horizon.
A display shelf featuring Star Wars-themed collectibles, including a Baby Yoda figure, stormtroopers, and a large central blaster model. The shelf is illuminated by two overhead spotlights, highlighting colorful elements like a glowing green crystal and a red triangular structure.
My story didn’t start until 1980; the same year The Empire Strikes Back made its legendary debut. These days, I find myself working at the National Air and Space Museum, a place where science fiction and real-world exploration collide in the best . Shortened snippet. View full page for more details.
The setup for the rocket launching the Roman Space Telescope, which looks like two long panels cocooning a large structure that is a telescope.
The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope launches on Aug. 31, 2026 with a wide field of view that is unprecedented in astronomy.