NATIONAL AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM

The Bell X-1 Glamorous Glennis cockpit remains much the same as it was when Chuck Yeager first exceeded the speed of sound on October 14, 1947.

In Washington, DC Independence Avenue at 6th Street, SW. Mall entrance: Jefferson Drive at 6th Street, SW. Open daily from 10 A.M. to 5:30 P.M. Closed December 25. Metrorail: L’Enfant Plaza station. Information: 202-633-2214

In Chantilly, VA Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, 14390 Air and Space Museum Pkwy., off Rte. 28. Open daily from 10 A.M. to 5:30 P.M. Closed December 25. Parking available for a fee. Information: 703-572-4118 TTY: 202-357-1729 (both locations) airandspace.si.edu

Boeing F4B-40.

Continuum, a cast-bronze sculpture by Charles O. Perry, installed in front of the museum’s Independence Avenue entrance.

When visitors come to Washington, DC, it’s almost a sure bet that the National Air and Space Museum is the first place they’ll go. People of all ages and backgrounds are drawn by its reputation as one of the world’s most visited museums. Once inside, their high expectations are surpassed as they wander among icons of aviation and space and enjoy activities such as large-screen IMAX® movies, flight simulators, planetarium shows, guided tours, science demonstrations, and interactive devices.

The museum has two public display facilities. The museum in Washington, DC, showcases many one-of-a-kind artifacts, including the original 1903 Wright Flyer, Charles Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis, Amelia Earhart’s Lockheed Vega, John Glenn’s Friendship 7 spacecraft, and the Apollo 11 command module. The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia, exhibits thousands of artifacts—including a Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, a Concorde, the Boeing B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay, and the space shuttle Discovery—in an open, hangar-like setting.

Within these two remarkable facilities—which comprise the largest complex in the world for presenting the history of air and space—visitors can marvel at the National Air and Space Museum’s enormous, globally renowned collection.

THE MUSEUM IN WASHINGTON, DC

The museum in Washington, DC, presents the story of aeronautics and space flight in 23 galleries, each devoted to a specific subject or theme. Hundreds of historically significant aircraft, rockets, spacecraft, engines, scale models, pilot uniforms, spacesuits, awards, artworks, instruments, and pieces of flight equipment are on display.

A good place to start is just inside the entrances at either side of the building, where you are surrounded by some of the most important airplanes, rockets, and spacecraft in history.

The central gallery of the museum—in more ways than one.

GROUND LEVEL

MERCURY FRIENDSHIP 7. Spacecraft employed in the first US piloted orbital flight, flown by astronaut John Glenn, 1962.

GEMINI IV. Spacecraft used in the first US spacewalk, 1965.

TOUCHABLE MOON ROCK. Collected from the lunar surface by Apollo 17 astronauts

STAR TREK STARSHIP ENTERPRISE STUDIO MODEL. Used in filming the 1960s TV show.

LUNAR MODULE (LM2). Intended for flight but used instead for tests on Earth before the Moon landing, the LM2 display is a highly accurate depiction of the Apollo 11 Lunar Module Eagle (LM5) on the Moon.

MAY 1926 GODDARD ROCKET. The world’s oldest surviving liquid-fuel rocket

THE RUTAN VOYAGER. In 1986, Voyager became the first aircraft to fly around the world nonstop without refueling.

NASA FULL-SCALE WIND TUNNEL FAN. Built in 1931 for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), predecessor to the National Air and Space Administration (NASA), the wind tunnel was used to test most of America’s significant military aircraft of its era.

The museum’s Viking Lander is a test vehicle like the two that soft-landed on Mars in 1976 and sent back images and data from the surface.

VIKING LANDER. Test vehicle for the first spacecraft to operate on the surface of Mars, 1976

PERSHING-II (US) AND SS-20 (USSR) MISSILES. Two disarmed missiles that represent the more than 2,600 nuclear intermediate-range ballistic missiles banned by the Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty of 1987

THE SPACE MURAL: A COSMIC VIEW. Robert T. McCall’s conception of the creation of the Universe, the triumph of lunar exploration, and an optimistic look at the future

EARTH FLIGHT ENVIRONMENT. Eric Sloane’s dramatic depiction of the remarkable ocean of air that is our atmosphere

SpaceShipOne, the first privately built and piloted vehicle to reach space, is on display in the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC

SUSPENDED FROM THE CEILING

SPACESHIP ONE. First privately developed piloted vehicle to reach space, 2004

The Bell X-1 Glamorous Glennis, the first airplane to fly faster than the speed of sound, hangs in the Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall in the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum.

BELL X-1 GLAMOROUS GLENNIS. First airplane to fly faster than the speed of sound, piloted by Charles E. “Chuck” Yeager, 1947

The Ryan NYP Spirit of St. Louis in which Charles Lindbergh made his historic solo nonstop transatlantic flight from New York to Paris.

RYAN NYP SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS. Airplane in which Charles Lindbergh made the first solo nonstop transatlantic flight, 1927

BELL XP-59A AIRACOMET. First American turbojet aircraft, 1942

EXPLORER 1. Backup for the first US satellite to orbit Earth, 1958

SPUTNIK 1. Soviet replica of the first artificial satellite to orbit Earth, 1957

PIONEER 10. Prototype for the first unmanned spacecraft to fly by Jupiter and Saturn and out of the solar system, launched in 1972

NORTH AMERICAN X-15. First piloted aircraft to exceed six times the speed of sound and the first to explore the fringes of space, 1967

MARINER 2. Backup of the first interplanetary probe to study another planet (Venus), 1962

PITTS S-15 SPECIAL. Small aerobatic biplane designed by Curtis Pitts. It dominated the unlimited class in world-championship competition, 1960

The story of America’s airline industry

The most successful airliner in history, the Douglas DC-3 dominated both commercial and military air transportation from its introduction in 1935 until after World War II. It was the first airplane that could make money by carrying only passengers. This one flew nearly 57,000 hours for Eastern Air Lines from 1937 to 1952.

DOUGLAS DC-3. A design milestone and perhaps the single most important aircraft in air transportation history, 1935. At 16,875 pounds, the heaviest airplane hanging from the museum’s ceiling

FORD 5-AT TRI-MOTOR. Offered dependable, safe, and relatively comfortable service when introduced in 1928

PITCAIRN PA-5 MAILWING. Efficient, reliable airmail carrier, first flown in 1927

NORTHROP ALPHA. All-metal, cantilever-wing monoplane with an enclosed passenger cabin, 1930

FAIRCHILD FC-2. One of the first service aircraft of Pan-American-Grace Airways (Panagra), 1928

BOEING 247-D. First modern airliner, 1934

DOUGLAS DC-7 (nose only). Visitors can walk through the cockpit of this 1953 airliner.

BOEING 747 FORWARD FUSELAGE AND COCKPIT. This jumbo jet revolutionized long-distance air travel.

Choose from a variety of ride simulations, including an excursion to the International Space Station and a sortie in various vintage aircraft. Or climb aboard one often interactive flight simulators and try to become a jet combat “ace” as you pilot the simulator into 360-degree barrel rolls. Choose either pilot or gunner responsibilities.

Unmanned vehicles for reconnaissance purposes and versions armed with weapons, ranging from the large and lethal to the tiny and portable

GENERAL ATOMICS AERONAUTICAL SYSTEMS, INC. MQ-1L PREDATOR A. Predators have performed missions over the Balkans, Afghanistan, and Iraq. The one hanging here flew 196 combat missions in Afghanistan.

BOEING X-45A JOINT UNMANNED COMBAT AIR SYSTEM (J-UCAS). Stealthy, swept-wing, and jet-powered, the first modern UAV designed specifically for combat strike missions

AEROVIRONMENT RQ-14A DRAGON EYE. By far the smallest aircraft here, this hand- or bungee-launched mini-UAV can provide reconnaissance and surveillance information to field commanders.

PIONEER UAV RQ-2A PIONEER. The RQ-2A provides field commanders with real-time reconnaissance, surveillance, target acquisition, and battle damage information.

The Messerschmitt Me 262A-1a, the world’s first operational jet fighter, outperformed the best Allied fighters of World War II but entered combat too late to have much impact on the war. This rare example was one of many German aircraft captured and returned to the United States for testing. It scored 42 victories over Russian aircraft and seven over American.

Aviation between the two world wars

BEECH MODEL 17 STAGGERWING. Popular general aviation aircraft of the 1930s; the museum’s Staggerwing dates from 1936

WITTMAN CHIEF OSHKOSH BUSTER. From 1931 until its retirement in 1954, this midget air racer set records, including two wins in the Goodyear Trophy races.

CURTISS ROBIN J-1 DELUXE OLE MISS. Set endurance record of 27 days over Meridian, Mississippi, 1935

NORTHROP GAMMA 2B POLAR STAR. First flight across Antarctica, 1935

HUGHES H-1. Aircraft in which Howard Hughes set several speed records in the 1930s

The development of jet aviation and its related technology

MURAL BY KEITH FERRIS. A large-scale depiction of important jet aircraft, 1981

The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter was nicknamed the “missile with a man in it,” since its long, thin fuselage and stubby wings resembled a missile more than a conventional aircraft. The F-104 was the first interceptor in the service of the United States to be able to fly at sustained speeds above Mach 2 (twice the speed of sound).

LOCKHEED XP-80 SHOOTING STAR LULU BELL. First operational US jet fighter, 1944

MESSERSCHMITT ME 262 SCHWALBE (SWALLOW). World’s first operational jet fighter, 1944

MCDONNELL FH-1 PHANTOM I. First US jet to take off and land on an aircraft carrier, 1947

WHITTLE W.1.X. British experimental aircraft engine that became the foundation for the American jet engine industry when it came to the United States in October 1941

HEINKEL HES 3B TURBOJET. Replica of the engine that powered the Heinkel He 178 on the world’s first flight of a turbojet-powered aircraft, 1939

PRATT & WHITNEY JT9D. Turbofan engine used in wide-body jet airliners

WILLIAMS WR19. World’s smallest turbofan engine

The Rutan Voyager, the first aircraft to fly nonstop around the world without refueling, is displayed in the south lobby. The Global Flyer, also designed by Burt Rutan, is on display at the Udvar-Hazy Center. It set several important aviation records: the first solo nonstop flight around the world; the nonstop distance record; and the closed-circuit distance record.

Crafts that evoke the mood and excitement of the dawn of flight

LILIENTHAL GLIDER. A glider built in 1894 by Otto Lilienthal, an experimenter who inspired Wilbur and Orville Wright

1909 WRIGHT MILITARY FLYER. World’s first military aircraft

CURTISS D-III HEADLESS PUSHER. A favorite with US exhibition pilots in 1911–12

ECKER FLYING BOAT. Earliest existing flying boat

BLÉRIOT XI. Louis Blériot made the first heavier-than-air flight across the English Channel in a similar aircraft on July 25, 1909

LANGLEY QUARTER-SCALE AERODROME. One of several powered, unpiloted aircraft built and flown by Samuel P. Langley. This one made two successful flights, in 1901 and 1903

LANGLEY AERODROME #5. First successful flight of a powered, unpiloted heavier-than-air craft of substantial size, 1896

AERONAUTICAL ENGINES. Some of the in-line, radial, and rotary engines that propelled airplanes from 1907 to 1914

A hands-on experience that explores the science behind flight in Earth’s atmosphere and space

INTERACTIVE EXHIBITS. Dozens of mechanical and computer interactives demonstrate principles of flight related to air pressure and gravity, lift, drag, thrust, supersonic speed, aircraft and spacecraft control, and structures and materials.

LIVE PROGRAMS. Museum Explainers (high school and college students) bring the science of flight alive with fun experiments, unusual objects, and audience participation.

CESSNA 150. Learn how to maneuver an airplane. Climb into the cockpit of a Cessna 150 and take the controls.

THE DESIGN HANGAR. This innovative area focuses on fun, creative projects that introduce the engineering design process. Participants can imagine, plan, build, and test prototypes to overcome design challenges.

The Lockheed U-2C, an important aerial mapping and surveillance craft since the 1950s, is a focal point of the “Looking at Earth” gallery.

HOW THINGS FLY WEB SITE. Explore the physics of flight in an online experience. Test fly an aircraft, build and launch a rocket, design your own paper airplane, learn how a jet engine works, or ask a Museum Explainer a question related to air or space at howthingsfly.si.edu.

This type of basket, held aloft by a hot-air balloon, was used in early aerial photography. The basket is in the “Looking at Earth” gallery.

Development of technology for viewing Earth from balloons, aircraft, and spacecraft (projected closing date in 2017)

DE HAVILLAND DH-4. A British-designed and American-built World War I military aircraft later used for airmail, mapping, and photography

LOCKHEED U-2C. Key US Cold War reconnaissance aircraft, with a flight suit worn by Francis Gary Powers and memorabilia from his imprisonment in the Soviet Union; and a surveillance camera dating from the late 1950s

EARTH OBSERVATION SATELLITES. Prototype of TIROS, the world’s first weather satellite, 1960; engineering test model of an ITOS weather satellite; 1970s; half-scale model of a GOES geostationary satellite and models of other satellites

LANDSAT IMAGE OF THE CHESAPEAKE BAY AREA. A 14-foot photomural, including Washington, DC, and Baltimore, Maryland

WHAT’S NEW. Developments in the science and technology of looking at Earth

How new astronomical tools—from Galileo’s telescope in the early 1600s to the latest high-tech observatories on Earth and in space—have revolutionized our view of the Universe

EARLY ASTRONOMICAL TOOLS. Astrolabes, quadrants, and a celestial globe dating from 1090 to the 1600s, together with replicas of other instruments

20-FOOT TELESCOPE. The tube and mirror from the famous telescope used by William Herschel beginning in the 1700s to study the structure and nature of the Universe

OBSERVING CAGE AND CAMERA FROM THE 100-INCH TELESCOPE AT MT. WILSON OBSERVATORY IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. Used by astronomer Edwin Hubble, whose discoveries changed our understanding of the nature and motion of galaxies in the early 20th century

PRIME FOCUS SPECTROGRAPH FROM THE 200-INCH TELESCOPE AT PALOMAR OBSERVATORY IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. The most sensitive camera in the world mounted on the most powerful telescope in the world, this instrument helped astronomers in the latter half of the 20th century study the most distant galaxies yet seen.

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE BACKUP MIRROR. This artifact, showing the honeycomb structure that supports the mirror surface, is nearly identical to the one currently in use on the Hubble.

CCDS AND OTHER LIGHT DETECTORS. Digital detectors from a variety of significant ground-, air-, and space-based instruments that were designed to explore every facet of the Universe

SPACE INSTRUMENTS. These are actual instruments returned from the Hubble, plus full-scale engineering models and originals of the suite of instruments that mapped the big bang from the ground and from space.

Exploring the Moon

SURVEYOR LUNAR PROBE. Soft-landed on the Moon to study lunar soil composition and physical properties of the lunar surface, 1966–68

LUNAR ORBITER. Circled the Moon and mapped the entire lunar surface, 1966–67

RANGER LUNAR PROBE. Provided the first close-up photographs of the lunar surface, 1962–65

CLEMENTINE. Backup for the robotic return to the Moon, 1994

The Apollo 11 command module Columbia carried astronauts Neil Armstrong, Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, and Michael Collins on their historic voyage to the Moon and back, July 16–24, 1969.

AT A GLANCE

The 1903 Wright Flyer, Charles Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis, John Glenn’s Friendship 7, the Apollo 11 command module Columbia, and the walk-through Skylab orbital workshop are just a few of the attractions in this vast and exciting museum. Not to be missed are special IMAX® films projected on a screen five stories high and seven stories wide, providing a breathtaking cinematic experience.

Explore the opportunities and challenges of human spaceflight on the shuttle, space station, and beyond.

DISCOVER. What does it take to make a spacecraft reusable? How do astronauts spend their days on the International Space Station? What was life like on the space shuttle? What are the future plans for space transportation and exploration?

LARGE-SCALE MODEL OF SPACE SHUTTLE. Depicts the orbiter, external tank, solid rocket boosters, and mobile launch platform

SPACE SHUTTLE MID-DECK MOCKUP. See where shuttle astronauts lived and worked.

GOOGLE EARTH STATION. Explore Earth, Moon, and Mars in an immersive, interactive display.

FLIGHT SUITS. Worn by shuttle astronauts

SPACE TOOLS. Used to repair the Hubble Space Telescope

MODELS OF NEXT-GENERATION SPACECRAFT. Dragon, Orion, and others as they evolve

INTERACTIVE ACTIVITIES. Try your skills as a mission flight director or space station designer and see how much you know about spaceflight.

Lunar Module 2 is one of two remaining lunar landers built for the early Apollo missions.

The “Space Race” gallery compares US and Soviet technology developed for manned lunar missions. At the left is a model of the US Saturn V rocket and an Apollo space suit worn on the Moon. At the right is a model of the Soviet N-1 rocket, which failed in test flights, and a Soviet Moon suit designed for a lunar landing mission that never occurred.

Tells the story of the United States’ and the Soviet Union’s competition in space and the race to the Moon

V-2. First operational long-range ballistic missile (German), 1944–45

AEROBEE 150. Major carrier of scientific instruments for probing the upper atmosphere, 1955–70

VIKING. US Navy sounding rocket developed for scientific purposes, 1949–55

JUPITER-C AND VANGUARD ROCKETS. First two US satellite launch vehicles, 1958

SCOUT-D. Solid-propellant launch vehicle for scientific satellites, 1961–94

MINUTEMAN III. US Air Force intercontinental ballistic missile, 1970 to the present

IVAN IVANOVICH, TEST FLIGHT MANNEQUIN. Sent into space by the Soviet space program a few weeks before the first human flight, March 1961

YURI GAGARIN FLIGHT SUIT. Worn during training by cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, first person in space, 1961

JOHN GLENN SPACE SUIT. Worn by astronaut John Glenn, first American to orbit Earth, February 1962

SPACE SUIT AND AIRLOCK FROM FIRST SPACEWALK. Cosmonaut Aleksei Leonov became the first human to “walk” in space, March 1965

APOLLO 15 LUNAR SUIT. Astronaut David Scott wore this suit on the Moon, 1971

CORONA CAMERA. This and similar US cameras observed the Soviet Union from space, 1960–72

SKYLAB ORBITAL WORKSHOP. A walk-through backup for the first US space station, 1973–74

APOLLO-SOYUZ TEST PROJECT. First human international space mission, 1975

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE. Full-size engineering model of observatory put in orbit by the space shuttle, 1990

The “Space Race” gallery contains many artifacts from the US and Soviet space programs. From left to right are the huge Skylab Orbital Workshop, a German V-2 missile, a cluster of rockets and missiles, and the Apollo-Soyuz Test Program display.

The history of ship-based flight is told in the “Sea-Air Operations” gallery. Step aboard the simulated aircraft carrier USS Smithsonian, CVM-76, and visit the bridge, where you can observe aircraft catapulting off the bow.

Large-format films are shown on a screen five stories high and seven stories wide. Admission fee. Schedule available at Welcome Center.

Lectures on the night sky and multimedia programs on astronomy and space are presented in the domed theater. The planetarium projector simulates the nighttime sky and the motions of the Sun, Moon, and planets. Admission fee for most shows.

Aircraft carrier operations from 1911 to the present

CARRIER HANGAR DECK. Major aircraft from different periods in sea-air history

BOEING F4B-4. Biplane built for the US Navy and Marine Corps

DOUGLAS SBD-6 DAUNTLESS. Type of carrier-based dive bomber used during most of World War II

The Grumman FM-1 Wildcat was the Navy’s main carrier fighter for the first two years of World War II. This version has a mechanism that allows the wings to fold back against the fuselage for a compact fit on the flight deck.

GRUMMAN FM-1 WILDCAT. Basic US Navy and Marine Corps fighter aircraft at the start of World War II

DOUGLAS A-4C SKYHAWK. First-line naval attack aircraft of the 1950s and 1960s

CARRIER WAR IN THE PACIFIC. Depicts the six major aircraft-carrier battles in the Pacific during World War II

MODERN CARRIER AVIATION. Developments in carrier construction, operations, roles, and missions in the nuclear age

The North American P-51D Mustang escorted high-altitude Allied bombers deep into Europe.

Fighter aircraft and related material from five countries

NORTH AMERICAN P-51D MUSTANG. An outstanding fighter airplane, used in every theater of the war

MITSUBISHI A6M5 ZERO FIGHTER. With excellent maneuverability and range, used throughout the war by the Japanese navy

SUPERMARINE SPITFIRE MARK VII. A later version of the legendary British fighter that helped defeat the Germans in the Battle of Britain

MESSERSCHMITT BF 109 GUSTAV. Principal Luftwaffe fighter and the major opponent of Spitfires, Mustangs, and US bombers

MACCHI C.202 FOLGORE. Most successful Italian fighter to see extensive service in the African campaign and in Italy and the Soviet Union

MURAL. Fortresses Under Fire, by Keith Ferris, 1976

The emergence of air power in World War I

PFALZ D.XII. German fighter aircraft used in Hollywood films about aviation in World War I

VOISIN VIII. Early type of night bomber, 1915

SPAD XIII SMITH IV. French fighter aircraft flown by US ace Ray Brooks of the 22nd Aero Pursuit Squadron

FOKKER D.VII. Considered the best German fighter aircraft of World War I

ALBATROS D.VA. German fighter aircraft that flew on all fronts during World War I

SOPWITH SNIPE. British aircraft considered to be one of the best all-around single-seat fighters, although it became operational only late in the war

GERMAN FACTORY SCENE. World War I mass-production techniques, with original equipment

HOLLYWOOD FILMS PORTRAYING A ROMANTIC IMAGE OF THE “KNIGHTS OF THE AIR.” Outside Gallery 206.

GOSSAMER CONDOR. First successful human-powered aircraft, 1977

A full-scale replica of the Voyager spacecraft is on display in the “Exploring the Planets” at the museum in Washington, DC.

History and achievements of planetary exploration, Earth based and by spacecraft

VOYAGER. Full-scale replica of the spacecraft that explored Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune in the 1970s and 1980s

A PIECE OF MARS. Meteorite collected in Antarctica that came from Mars

SURVEYOR 3 TELEVISION CAMERA. Retrieved from the surface of the Moon by the Apollo 12 astronauts

THREE GENERATIONS OF MARS ROVERS. Full-scale models of the Mars rovers Spirit, Opportunity, and Curiosity, plus the backup vehicle for the Sojourner rover Marie Curie

NEW HORIZONS FULL-SCALE MODEL. The first spacecraft to explore Pluto

Famous “firsts” and record setters

LOCKHEED SIRIUS TINGMISSARTOQ. Flown by Charles and Anne Lindbergh on airline route-mapping flights, 1930s

LOCKHEED 5B VEGA. First solo flight across the Atlantic by a woman, Amelia Earhart, 1932

FOKKER T-2. First nonstop US transcontinental flight, 1923

PIPER J-2 CUB. A stable and economical 1937 Cub light aircraft that made flying easy to learn and afford. This Piper J-2 is the first Cub built under the Piper name. Formerly known as the Taylor Cub, the J-2 model was soon modified into the world-famous Piper J-3 Cub.

“HOOPSKIRT,” LIQUID FUEL ROCKET. A 1928 invention of famed rocketry pioneer Robert Goddard

INTERACTIVE ACTIVITIES. Hands-on elements for all ages, including preschool children, throughout the gallery

BUD LIGHT SPIRIT OF FREEDOM GONDOLA. First solo flight around the world in a balloon, by Steve Fossett, 2002

HAWTHORNE C. GREY BALLOON BASKET AND EQUIPMENT. Ushered in the era of stratospheric balloon flights, 1927

DOUGLAS WORLD CRUISER CHICAGO. First around-the-world flight, 1924

EXPLORER II GONDOLA. In 1935, this cabin and its balloon rose to a height never before achieved and made valuable scientific observations.

BLACK WINGS: THE AMERICAN BLACK IN AVIATION. Exhibit chronicles the struggle of African Americans to earn a place in aeronautics and space flight in the United States

The 1903 Wright Flyer is the centerpiece of “The Wright Brothers & The Invention of the Aerial Age” gallery.

The story of how Wilbur and Orville Wright invented the airplane

1903 WRIGHT FLYER. The first heavier-than-air, powered aircraft to make a sustained, controlled flight with a pilot aboard

LETTER TO THE SMITHSONIAN. Read what Wilbur Wright wrote in 1899 in this copy of a letter to the Smithsonian asking for information about aeronautics.

STOPWATCH. The Wrights used this stopwatch to time their first flights.

ST. CLAIR BICYCLE. One of only five bicycles manufactured by the Wright brothers known to exist today

WIND TUNNEL INSTRUMENT. Replica of the lift balance with which the Wrights performed their pioneering wind-tunnel research

ORIGINAL FABRIC AND PROPELLER. Both were on the Wright Flyer when it flew at Kitty Hawk in 1903.

HANDS-ON MECHANISMS. Learn about wing warping and other pioneering inventions by the Wright brothers.

FIRST FLIGHT SIMULATIONS. Watch video reenactments of the first four flights of the 1903 Wright Flyer.

Five huge F-1 rocket engines were needed to lift the 30-story-tall Saturn V rocket.

Triumph of human spaceflight in the 1960s and early 1970s, from Project Mercury through the Apollo Moon landings

F-1 ENGINE. Full-size, with cutaway of first-stage rocket engine used on the Saturn V rocket

SPACE TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT. Used to train for the Apollo missions

LUNAR SCENES. Showing the lunar rover and equipment deployed on the Moon’s surface

Using a rover like this one, Apollo 17 astronauts spent a record 22 hours exploring the lunar surface and collecting rock and soil samples.

LUNAR ROVER. The type of vehicle that astronauts drove on the Moon

SATURN BOOSTERS. Models of Saturn IB and Saturn V rockets

LUNAR SAMPLES. Four types of lunar soil and rocks

SPACE FOOD. How astronauts’ and cosmonauts’ food has changed

SPACESUITS. Worn on the Moon by Apollo astronauts

Rotating Exhibits

How revolutions in timekeeping over three centuries have influenced how we find our way

WINNIE MAE. When Wiley Post’s Lockheed Vega Winnie Mae circled the globe two times in the 1930s, it was a breakthrough in air navigation.

VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG STANLEY. Car that in 2005 won the DARPA Grand Challenge of having a vehicle navigate a complex course without a human driver

RAMSDEN DIVIDING ENGINE. This engine ultimately led to mass production of precision octants and sextants.

MARINER 10. A Flight-Qualified Spare of the Mariner 10, a spacecraft that used a gravitational assist from Venus to fly by Mercury three times in 1974 and 1975

SHIP’S INERTIAL NAVIGATION SYSTEM (SINS). A system of gyroscopes, accelerometers, and computers that was used to steer submarines

Mural Master Study: Horizontal by Robert T. McCall, 1975, acrylic on canvas, 23 × 90 in. (58 × 229 cm).