The Kenneth C. Griffin Exploring the Planets Gallery probes the science and history of our exploration of planets and moons, telling the stories of the diversity of worlds circling our Sun and how exploring those worlds helps enhance our own understanding of Earth.

Sep 8, 2023 · Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe's observations of the bright new star that appeared in the sky of 1572 proved the heavens were not changeless. His observations of how a comet moved among the stars in 1577 proved that comets moved about freely through the realm of the planets, a discovery that shattered the centuries-old notion of solid, transparent heavenly spheres.

The first practical hang glider appeared well over one hundred years ago. In the 1970s, pilots added small engines to fly higher and farther, and the ultralight aircraft was born.

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.

Article Appears in the Winter 2024 Issue of “Air & Space Quarterly” The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum has revealed for the first time the names of the first U.S. women military pilots to officially fly combat missions, nearly 30 years after the …

Hermann Oberth (1894 - 1989) was known as the Father of Astronautics. Born in Rumania in 1894, he received his German citizenship in 1941. After extensive studying at Gottingen, Heidelberg, Klausenbury, Munich and Vienna, he became a teacher, having at one time Dr. Wernher von Braun as his pupil.

Jun 26, 2019 · Blériot XI on the ground with Louis Blériot in cockpit. Several unidentified men are gathered around the aircraft; circa mid-1909. [This is probably the aircraft in which Blériot flew across the English Channel on July 25, 1909, but is not …

Neil A. Armstrong.In March 1962, James Webb, Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, suggested that artists be enlisted to document the historic effort to send the first human beings to the moon.

Wingspan: 2.2 m (7 ft 2 in)Length: 3.0 m (9 ft 10in)Height: 1.5 m (5 ft)Weights: Empty, 205.5 kg (452 lb)Gross, 302.7 kg (666 lb)Engine: Continental four-cylinder, four-cycle, 85 horsepowerOn a dare from another pilot, Ray Stits designed and built the Sky Baby at his home in Rive

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. The Mars Pathfinder (MPF) spacecraft consisted of …