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Started From the Bottom: How We Hung the Lockheed U-2C Spy Plane

The Lockheed U-2 is an iconic spy plane that first flew in 1955. The U-2 originated from the high tensions of the early Cold War, and the aircraft—returning on display at the Museum on the National ...
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National Air and Space Museum Bezos Learning Center

Home The National Air and Space Museum Is Transforming! Bezos Learning Center National Air and Space Museum Bezos Learning Center The Smithsonian Institution received a $200 million donation from Jeff ...
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Can Planets Collide with Each Other?

In George Pal’s 1951 movie “When Worlds Collide”, the rogue star Bellus passes through the solar system, destroying Earth after a spectacular sequence of earthquakes, lava flows, tidal waves, and ...
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After a Tragedy in 2002, Special Forces Soldiers Learned That Armed Drones Are a Combat Necessity

Why the Predator is here to stay. The Battle of Takur Ghar began three days into Operation Anaconda—an attempt by thousands of U.S. and allied troops to encircle Al Qaeda and Taliban forces in ...
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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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Eyes on the Coast: Civil Air Patrol in World War II

With all available military planes and pilots needed on the front lines of World War II, the U.S. needed to get creative to protect merchant vessels and war ships from threats lurking in the water.
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Do Other Planets Have Earthquakes and Volcanoes?

Yes! Many other planets and planetary bodies (I mean moons) experience these geological phenomena. In some cases, we have been able to directly measure earthquakes and see volcanoes erupting. We have ...
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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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How a Military Veteran Became a Museum Professional

A retired airfield manager finds his second act at the Smithsonian. When 9/11 happened, Patrick Leonini was in the National Guard, and he could have been part of a security detail for airports in New ...
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The Last Artifact from the Society for Space Travel

Some artifacts at the National Air and Space Museum are part of comprehensive object groups. The Museum’s collection tells the story of Robert Goddard, for instance, through some 80 artifacts that ...
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Preserving History at Hypersonic Speeds: A Close-Up Look at the North American X-15

The North American X-15 is a true marvel of aviation history –a pioneering hypersonic research aircraft that pushed the boundaries of aeronautical engineering in the 1960s. This rocket-powered plane ...
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Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum Offers Veterans Day Specials at Its Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center

The National Air and Space Museum will offer free parking and other discounts at its Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia, Nov. 11, in honor of all veterans and active-duty military ...