National Air and Space MuseumOpinion

Viking and the National Air and Space Museum

On July 20, 1976, Viking 1 touched down on the Red Planet, and became the first robotic spacecraft to successfully carry out ...
National Air and Space MuseumOpinion

1976 – 2026: Celebrating 50 Years of NASA’s Viking Missions

In summer 2026, NASA will commemorate the 50th anniversary of one of the most consequential milestones in planetary ...
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Captain Ernest A Clark

Captain Ernest A. Clark is the father of Julie E. Clark and was born in 1912 in Nebraska. Learned to fly in 1930 and became the youngest licensed pilot and airplane owner in the state of Nebraska (an ...
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U.S. National Science Foundation

U.S. National Science Foundation Discovering Our Universe illuminates how the development of new and more precise tools transformed our understanding of the origin, content, and fate of the universe.
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The First Space Stations

Before the race to the Moon ended in 1969, both the Americans and Soviets were planning their separate futures in space. After the competitive short-term goals of human spaceflight had been met in the ...
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The Cuban Missile Crisis

Browse our collections, stories, research, and on demand content. Maj. Richard Heyser had been sitting 14 miles above the Earth for 5 hours. Soaring at the edge of space, he flew from northern ...
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Apollo 11

The Soviet Union launched the first human, Yuri Gagarin, into space on April 12, 1961. Within days of the Soviet achievement, President John F. Kennedy asked Vice President Lyndon Johnson to identify ...
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Make a model of an aircraft

Visit us in Washington, DC and Chantilly, VA to explore hundreds of the world’s most significant objects in aviation and space history. Free timed-entry passes are required for the Museum in DC.
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The Real Wright Flyer

Browse our collections, stories, research, and on demand content. The original 1903 Wright Flyer at the National Air and Space Museum The flying machine with which Wilbur and Orville Wright made those ...
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Artifact Loan Procedures and Requirements

The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum (NASM) is dedicated to responsibly lending artifacts for exhibition to increase access to the Museum’s premier collections. Through our lending program, ...
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Music in the Air

Visit us in Washington, DC and Chantilly, VA to explore hundreds of the world’s most significant objects in aviation and space history. Free timed-entry passes are required for the Museum in DC.
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Guidance Platform, V-2, SG-66

Visit us in Washington, DC and Chantilly, VA to explore hundreds of the world’s most significant objects in aviation and space history. Free timed-entry passes are required for the Museum in DC.