Governmental Aerospace Programs
The Federal Aviation Administration, air mail, space programs and military aviation
Mustache March
Handlebar, pencil, or toothbrush? A gallery of famous aviators' 'staches in honor of a fuzzy Air Force tradition.
December 2012 |
By Rebecca Maksel
Making a Smoother (and Speedier) Airplane
Within months of its first flight, August Bellanca's Skyrocket II set five world speed records.
July 2012 |
By George C. Larson, Member, NAA
The Inquisitive Astronaut
Don Pettit turns his curiosity—and his camera—loose on board the International Space Station.
May 23, 2012 |
By The Editors
Under the Eurofighter’s Hood
Europe’s frontline fighter is a marvel of technology.
May 21, 2012 |
By Carl Posey
He Saved Navy Fliers from Spam
Long before Swanson's TV dinner, there was the Maxson Sky Plate.
May 17, 2012 |
By Rebecca Maksel
The Flight of the Dragon
If things go according to plan Saturday, the world will witness SpaceX launch its first Dragon cargo supply mission to the International Space Station.
May 15, 2012 |
By Paul D. Spudis
Titanic’s Wireless Operators: The Original Texters
Text messaging, from 1912 to 2012.
May 14, 2012 |
By Rebecca Maksel
Space History Items Bring $1 Million
To buy a piece of space history, you need plenty of cash.
May 03, 2012 |
By Rebecca Maksel
A Saturn V’s Final Journey: From Mildew to Museum
A new book recounts (sort of) the difficult restoration of a deteriorating Saturn V.
May 01, 2012 |
By Heather Goss
The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers*
The legal status and ownership of resources harvested from space are unclear. How does such uncertainty affect our plans to exploit them?
May 01, 2012 |
By Paul D. Spudis
Lin Xu’s Obsession
It started with a search for images of his hometown in China. Hundreds of miles of film later, he can't stop looking.
May 2012 |
By Rebecca Maksel
Howard Hughes’ Robot
On his record-setting flight in 1938, the billionaire had two navigators, only one of which was human.
April 23, 2012 |
By Rebecca Maksel
Discovery Joins the National Air and Space Museum
Two space shuttles parked nose-to-nose today; one leaving its museum home and the other ready to take its place.
April 19, 2012 |
By Heather Goss
High Valor
Barry Crawford is honored for his heroism as a combat air controller in Afghanistan.
April 13, 2012 |
By Air & Space / Smithsonian magazine
Analogy for Space: Aviation or Seafaring?
Is space travel more like aviation or sea faring? It depends on your mission.
April 13, 2012 |
By Paul D. Spudis
Thursday Night is Yuri’s Night
How will you celebrate human spaceflight on April 12?
April 11, 2012 |
By Heather Goss
Lake Vostok, Europa, and Washington
Cool new concept for a Europa lander! Wish we could afford it.
March 30, 2012 |
By Tony Reichhardt
Buzz Lightyear’s New Home
A well-traveled toy enters the Smithsonian collection.
March 29, 2012 |
By Rebecca Maksel
