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
In summer 2026, NASA will commemorate the 50th anniversary of one of the most consequential milestones in planetary exploration: the arrival of the Viking 1 and Viking 2 landers on the surface of Mars.
In the "TEXTRON How Things Fly" exhibition, nearly 50 interactives work together with featured artifacts to communicate the idea that the forces of lift, weight, drag, and thrust guide the design and function of everything that flies.
A Blue Origin New Shepard rocket just went on display in our new "RTX Living in the Space Age” exhibition! Check out this behind-the-scenes look at how we installed the 50-foot-tall and nearly 36-ton rocket.
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The Hillsborough meteorite belongs to a rare class of rocks from space, according to a new study. It holds amino acids and other organic compounds, as well as evidence of salty water.
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The gas giant, called Beta Pictoris d, had been hiding in plain sight for more than a decade, until two independent teams verified its existence.
Astronomers have mapped the distribution of heavy elements around a supermassive black hole in unprecedented detail, and the results show that metal‑rich gas is closely linked to the black hole’s powerful activity.
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Sugars are crucial components of RNA and DNA, the basis of all known organisms alive today. In a new study, the sugar erythrulose was detected in a gas- and dust-filled cloud near the center of our Milky Way galaxy.
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The exact timeline for the spacecraft’s display hasn’t been announced, but the artifact will fit into an upcoming exhibition on how humans have built a long-term presence in Earth orbit and laid the groundwork for farther space travel.