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
Three national guard members carrying a beaten up wingtip of an aircraft in front of a big airplane.
Richard I. Bong, flying a plane decorated with a portrait of his future wife Marge, became America’s highest-scoring “ace” and received a Medal of Honor.
The USS San Jacinto was converted from a cruiser hull to get into WWII fast. Carrying over 30 planes, its mission was to scout, defend, and attack across the Pacific.
"Jay I. Kislak World War II in the Air" explorers how military aviation during WWII was essential for victory and changed the nature and experience of war.
An artistic rendering of a tidal disruption event, when a black hole rips apart and devours a star that got too close, with a bright light around a black hole on a dark background.
These giant celestial objects have mostly been identified at the centers of galaxies, where they’re known to reside. But a recently discovered one appears to be more than 30,000 light-years from its host galaxy’s heart.
A black and white photo showing a small airplane with three people standing next to it in a field.
The Cradle of Aviation Museum recently acquired a Curtiss Oriole, three-seat biplane manufactured at a nearby Garden City factory.
Two images laid on top of a background of stars. A constellation is seen to the far right. Betelgeuse, the inset image in the middle, is located in the constellation Orion, on the right. New images hint at a small companion star, shown in the inset image on the left, orbiting the supergiant star.
The research team is mostly convinced by the data, but they want to capture additional observations in 2027 to confirm what they’ve found.
A black background depicting outer space with one large, bright star in the middle.
Today astronomers have announced that they caught a massive star’s death from the first explosive moment. The supernova may represent a new way for stars to end their lives.
Concept illustration of a modern rover on the surface of a rocky planet.
NASA is at the precipice of a new era of Mars exploration that will hopefully expand to a ubiquitous presence at the Red Planet and be achieved by partnerships that extend further than those that NASA has had in the past.