National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution

National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution Celebrating the greatest feats of aviation and space at two locations in DC and Virginia. The Museum in DC is open every day from 10 am to 5:30 pm.
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Timed-entry passes are required and can be reserved here: https://airandspace.si.edu/visit/museum-dc

The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia, is open every day from 10 am to 5:30 pm. Passes are not required. The Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum maintains the world's largest and most significant collection of aviation and space artifacts, encompassing all aspects of human

flight, as well as related works of art and archival materials. This page represents both the National Mall location in Washington D.C, and the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA. Together, these facilities welcome more than eight million visitors a year, making it the most visited museum in the country. We encourage you to share your visits using . Please feel free to share thoughts about our posts, ask us questions, or tell us about your visit.

On this day in 2004, Mars rover Opportunity landed on the Red Planet at Meridiani Planum. Affectionately called Oppy, th...
01/24/2025

On this day in 2004, Mars rover Opportunity landed on the Red Planet at Meridiani Planum. Affectionately called Oppy, the rover far exceeded its 90-day mission, working on Mars for over 14 years. More via NASA: https://s.si.edu/3Hvg4VD

Michael Collins crawled back into command module Columbia after the splashdown of Apollo 11 and wrote this short note on...
01/24/2025

Michael Collins crawled back into command module Columbia after the splashdown of Apollo 11 and wrote this short note on one of the equipment bay panels. Discover more handwritten notes from inside the command module: https://s.si.edu/3HwNZ0e

On this day in 1909, the Blériot XI was flown for the first time. Further trials and various modifications proceeded thr...
01/23/2025

On this day in 1909, the Blériot XI was flown for the first time. Further trials and various modifications proceeded through the spring and by the end of May, it was fitted with a 25-horsepower, three-cylinder Anzani engine. Pictured here is the Blériot XI in our collection: https://s.si.edu/3YaaYWA

On NASA's , we honor those who lost their lives while furthering the cause of exploration and discovery.We join NASA in...
01/23/2025

On NASA's , we honor those who lost their lives while furthering the cause of exploration and discovery.

We join NASA in remembering the crews of Apollo 1, Space Shuttle Challenger (STS-51L), and Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-107).

Today in 1959, Captain William White flew 3,850 miles nonstop in an F-105 Thunderchief from Alaska to Florida in 5 hours...
01/22/2025

Today in 1959, Captain William White flew 3,850 miles nonstop in an F-105 Thunderchief from Alaska to Florida in 5 hours and 27 minutes.

An F-105D is on display at the Udvar-Hazy Center: https://s.si.edu/4apVN1v

Phoning home for the last and final time.Pioneer 10 sent back its last signal on this day in history in 2003. Sent from ...
01/22/2025

Phoning home for the last and final time.

Pioneer 10 sent back its last signal on this day in history in 2003. Sent from 7.6 billion miles away, Pioneer's last signal was very weak and took 11 hours to reach Earth.

On this week in history in 1970, the Boeing 747 made its first commercial flight, flying from New York to London for Pan...
01/22/2025

On this week in history in 1970, the Boeing 747 made its first commercial flight, flying from New York to London for Pan American.

📷: A Pan Am 747 in flight.

On in 1976, the supersonic Concorde entered commercial service. Two flights took off at the same time, one operated by...
01/21/2025

On in 1976, the supersonic Concorde entered commercial service. Two flights took off at the same time, one operated by Air France and the other by British Airways. More on the Concorde: https://s.si.edu/36Hqik7

Now, that's a picture-perfect landing! 🙌Space Shuttle Endeavour landed at Kennedy Space Center, completing the STS-72 mi...
01/21/2025

Now, that's a picture-perfect landing! 🙌

Space Shuttle Endeavour landed at Kennedy Space Center, completing the STS-72 mission, in 1996.

Happy birthday to astronaut Buzz Aldrin! 🎂 Aldrin—pilot of Gemini XII, lunar module pilot on Apollo 11, and the second ...
01/20/2025

Happy birthday to astronaut Buzz Aldrin! 🎂 Aldrin—pilot of Gemini XII, lunar module pilot on Apollo 11, and the second person to ever set foot on the Moon—was born on this day in 1930.

On this day in 1949, this photo was taken of a flyover of aircraft, including three Convair B-36s, signaling the beginni...
01/20/2025

On this day in 1949, this photo was taken of a flyover of aircraft, including three Convair B-36s, signaling the beginning of the inaugural parade for Harry Truman's inauguration.

Howard Hughes set a transcontinental US speed record on this day in 1937 in this Hughes H-1 Racer. He flew nonstop from ...
01/20/2025

Howard Hughes set a transcontinental US speed record on this day in 1937 in this Hughes H-1 Racer. He flew nonstop from Los Angeles, California, to Newark, New Jersey, in 7 hours, 28 minutes, and 25 seconds. The aircraft is in our collection: http://s.si.edu/3C5IvVj

The New Horizons spacecraft launched today in 2006 on a decade-long journey to Pluto. New Horizons was the first mission...
01/19/2025

The New Horizons spacecraft launched today in 2006 on a decade-long journey to Pluto. New Horizons was the first mission sent to explore Pluto and its moons, and it made its closest approach to the dwarf planet in July 2015: https://s.si.edu/4jkmitf

On this day in history in 1911, Eugene Burton Ely made history when he became the first person to both land on and take-...
01/18/2025

On this day in history in 1911, Eugene Burton Ely made history when he became the first person to both land on and take-off from a naval vessel. Read the blog for more: https://s.si.edu/3QCdbGI

Our Huff-Daland Duster was donated to the Museum on this day in 1968.The Huff-Daland Duster Company (now Delta Air Lines...
01/18/2025

Our Huff-Daland Duster was donated to the Museum on this day in 1968.

The Huff-Daland Duster Company (now Delta Air Lines) was the nation's first aerial dusting business. The Huff-Daland Duster, pictured here at the Udvar-Hazy Center, was designed in 1925 for a new method of controlling agricultural insect pests, aerial crop dusting. Huff-Daland modified its sturdy Petrel military biplane with a large hopper for chemicals and spraying equipment.

Our Huff-Daland Duster is now on display at the Museum in DC in the "America by Air" exhibition: https://s.si.edu/3S4p2xZ

On this day 1997, Clyde Tombaugh, the astronomer who discovered Pluto, died at age 90. He's pictured here with a homemad...
01/18/2025

On this day 1997, Clyde Tombaugh, the astronomer who discovered Pluto, died at age 90. He's pictured here with a homemade telescope at age 22.

On this day in 1930, Eastern Air Transport was established. It later became Eastern Air Lines and lasted until 1991.📷: E...
01/17/2025

On this day in 1930, Eastern Air Transport was established. It later became Eastern Air Lines and lasted until 1991.

📷: Eastern Air Lines logo on the side of the Museum's Douglas DC-3, on display in the "America by Air" exhibition.

NASA announced the Astronaut Class of 1978, also known as the “Thirty-Five New Guys," on this day in 1978. Within the cl...
01/17/2025

NASA announced the Astronaut Class of 1978, also known as the “Thirty-Five New Guys," on this day in 1978. Within the class were NASA's first female astronaut candidates (Shannon Lucid, Margaret Rhea Seddon, Kathryn Sullivan, Judith Resnik, Anna Fisher, and Sally Ride) and NASA's first Black astronaut candidates (Ronald McNair, Guion Bluford, and Frederick Gregory).

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Videos

A phone booth helps tell the story of Earth-based space tourism. Curator Emily Margolis explains…

During World War II, American pilots battled Japanese Navy pilots flying the Shiden Kai. Russ Lee shares the story behind this aircraft on display at the Udvar-Hazy Center. #avgeek #WorldWarII #WorldWar2 #WorldWarIIAviation

May we all approach our tasks with the same enthusiasm as Apollo 17 astronaut Harrison Schmitt throwing a geology hammer on the Moon. #Apollo #Moon #Apollo17 #SpaceGeek

Aircraft mechanics help keep you safe whether you’re traveling home for the holidays, on business, or going on vacation. New on the @AirSpacePod feed, meet aircraft mechanic @airplanefactswithmax in a recent episode of the @FAA’s ‘The Air Up There’ podcast.

Farewell mini-moon 2024 PT5, we hardly knew you…

This upside-down airplane greets visitors as you enter the Udvar-Hazy Center. Curator Dorothy Cochrane shares the story behind it.

How do astronauts vote from space? @airspacepod has the scoop! Learn more in the latest episode of AirSpace, at the link in our bio.

You're it! Four years ago today, the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft "tagged" the asteroid Bennu, successfully touching down and capturing this view of its descent, six-second tag, and back-away burn. The samples were successfully returned to Earth.

How do we move a massive rocket into the Museum and install it in place? Very carefully! Check out this timelapse of the move and install of the Blue Origin New Shepard "Propulsion Module 4-2" booster that just joined our collection.

Bao Li and Qing Bao, @smithsonianzoo’s new giant pandas, landed at Dulles Airport this morning on a dedicated FedEx Boeing 777F aircraft dubbed the “Panda Express.” 🐼 #DCPandas #Pandas

DART Collides With Asteroid Dimorphos
DART Collides With Asteroid Dimorphos

Boom! 💥 Two years ago today, NASA’s DART Mission successfully collided with the non-hazardous asteroid Dimorphos as a test for potential future planetary protection. This video shows the final moments before impact.

This foam truck was a first responder following the terrorist attack on the Pentagon on 9/11.

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