National Air and Space Museum

The National Air and Space Museum (NASM) of the Smithsonian Institution holds the largest collection of historic aircraft and spacecraft in the world. Located in Washington, D.C., United States, it is also a center for research into the history, and science of aviation and spaceflight, as well as planetary science and terrestrial geology and geophysics. Almost all space and aircraft on display are originals or backups to the originals. It is the most popular of the Smithsonian museums and operates an annex, the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, at Dulles International Airport.

National Air and Space Museum
Established July 1, 1976
Location Washington, D.C.
Visitor figures 6,012,229 (2007)
Director Gen. John R. Dailey
Curator Tom Crouch
Public transit access L'Enfant Plaza (Washington Metro) Maryland Avenue exit
Website http://www.nasm.si.edu/

The National Air and Space Museum (NASM) of the Smithsonian Institution holds the largest collection of historic aircraft and spacecraft in the world.<ref name="smithover">http://www.nasm.si.edu/museum/</ref> Located in Washington, D.C., United States, it is also a center for research into the history, and science of aviation and spaceflight, as well as planetary science and terrestrial geology and geophysics. Almost all space and aircraft on display are originals or backups to the originals. It is the most popular of the Smithsonian museums and operates an annex, the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, at Dulles International Airport.

Architecture

Because of the museum's close proximity to the United States Capitol, the Smithsonian wanted a building that would be architecturally impressive but would not stand out too boldly against the Capitol building. St. Louis-based architect Gyo Obata of Hellmuth, Obata and Kassabaum accepted the challenge and designed the museum as four simple marble-encased cubes containing the smaller and more theatrical exhibits, connected by three spacious steel-and-glass atria which house the larger exhibits such as missiles, airplanes and spacecraft. The mass of the museum echoes the National Gallery of Art across the National Mall, and uses the same pink Tennessee marble as the National Gallery. Built by Gilbane Building Company, the museum was completed in 1976. The west glass wall of the building is used for the installation of airplanes, functioning as a giant door.<ref> Шаблон:Cite book </ref>

History

hanging in the museum in 1982]] Originally called the National Air Museum when it was formed on August 12, 1946 by an act of Congress,<ref>National Air and Space Museum - NASM Chronology, Smithsonian Institution</ref><ref name=Small2003>History of the NASM</ref> some pieces in the National Air and Space Museum collection date back to the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia after which the Chinese Imperial Commission donated a group of kites to the Smithsonian. The Stringfellow steam engine intended for aircraft was accessioned into the collection in 1889, the first piece actively acquired by the Smithsonian now in the current NASM collection.

After the establishment of the museum, there was no one building that could hold all the items to be displayed. Some pieces were on display in the Arts and Industries Building, some were stored in a shed in the Smithsonian's South Yard that came to be known as the Air and Space Building, and the larger missiles and rockets were displayed outdoors in Rocket Row.

The combination of the large numbers of aircraft donated to the Smithsonian after World War II and the need for hangar and factory space for the Korean War drove the Smithsonian to look for its own facility to store and restore aircraft. The current Garber Facility was ceded to the Smithsonian by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission in 1952 after the curator Paul E. Garber spotted the wooded area from the air. Bulldozers from Fort Belvoir and prefabricated buildings from the United States Navy kept the initial costs low.

The space race in the 1950s and 1960s led to the renaming of the museum to the National Air and Space Museum, and finally congressional passage of appropriations for the construction of the new exhibition hall[], which opened July 1, 1976 at the height of the United States Bicentennial festivities. The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center opened in 2003, funded by a private donation.

The museum will receive several artifacts, including a former camera, that were removed from the Hubble Space Telescope and returned to Earth after Space Shuttle mission STS-125. The museum also holds the backup mirror for the Hubble which, unlike the one that was launched, was ground to the correct shape. There were once plans for it to receive the Hubble itself, but plans to return it to Earth were scrapped after the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster in 2003; the mission was re-considered as too risky.

The Smithsonian has also been promised the International Cometary Explorer, which is currently in a solar orbit that occasionally brings it back to Earth, should NASA attempt to recover it.

Controversies

Controversy erupted in 1994 over a proposed commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Japan. The centerpiece of the exhibit was the Enola Gay, the B-29 bomber that dropped the A-bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Veterans’ groups, backed by some congressmen, argued strongly that the exhibit’s inclusion of Japanese accounts and photographs of victims insulted U.S. airmen.<ref>Los Angeles Times, May 3rd, 1995, p. 21 [1]</ref> Also disputed was the predicted number of fatal US casualties that would have resulted from an invasion of Japan, had that been necessary. In the end, the museum’s director, Martin O. Harwit, was forced to resign, and the exhibit was radically reduced to “the most diminished display in Smithsonian history." <ref>New York Times, Aug. 6th, 1995 http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990CE4D61238F935A3575BC0A963958260</ref>

Scientific clarity

Throughout the museum's displays, the Air and Space Museum presents all thrust levels for rocket and jet engines in mass units (kilograms or pounds) rather than force units (newtons or pounds-force, or even kilograms-force, which were acceptable units in the early days of these engines). This usage is at odds with common scientific/engineering practice presented in NASA SP 7012.

Directors

Carl W. Mitman was the first head of the museum, under the title of Assistant to the Secretary for the National Air Museum, heading the museum from 1946 until his retirement from the Smithsonian in 1952.<ref name=FARU0162>Finding Aids to Official Records of the Smithsonian Institution, Record Unit 330: Series 1, National Air and Space Museum, Records, 1912-1971</ref>

The following have been, or acted as, director of the museum:

  • Philip S. Hopkins, 1958-1964
  • S. Paul Johnston, 1964-1969
  • Frank A. Taylor (acting), 1969-1971
  • Michael Collins, 1971-1978;<ref name=FARU0338>Finding Aids to Official Records of the Smithsonian Institution, Record Unit 338, National Air and Space Museum, Records, circa 1972-1989</ref>
  • Melvin B. Zisfein (acting), 1978-1979
  • Noel W. Hinners, 1979-1982
  • Walter J. Boyne (acting 1982–1983, director 1983-1986)
  • James C. Tyler (acting), 1986-1987
  • Martin O. Harwit, 1987-1995
  • Donald D. Engen, 1996-1999<ref name=nasmod>National Air and Space Museum, Office of the Director - Agency History</ref>
  • John R. Dailey, 2000-present

Images

In popular media

  • The main National Air and Space Museum makes an appearance in the Percy Jackson novel The Titan's Curse, where the quest members are attacked by the Nemean Lion while in the museum, destroying several exhibits.
  • The Air and Space Museum was used as part of the setting in the 2009 film ', but the film was actually shot in Vancouver.
  • The Air and Space Museum that is in ', where Sam, Mikaela, Wheelie and Agent Simmons woke up in SR-71 Blackbird mode, is the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center branch facility at Dulles International Airport.

Visitors

As of 2007, over 6 million people visited the National Air and Space Museum.<ref>http://www.nasm.si.edu/events/pressroom/presskits/museumkit/facts_mall.cfm</ref>

External links

Bibliography

  • Henderson, Mary. Star Wars: The Magic of Myth. Companion volume to the exhibition at the National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution. New York: Bantam, 1997.

References

Coordinates: 38°53′18″N 77°01′12″W / 38.88833°N 77.02°W / 38.88833; -77.02

Listed in the following categories:
Post a comment
Tips & Hints
Arrange By:
Nils Buurman
15 April 2014
Everybody who likes the topic Air and Space will love this Museum. There is so much to see. Special Tip: The Fly or Ride Simulator. Personally for me the best museum I ever been to!
Shravan Aras
27 July 2013
Keep a good 5-6 hrs free for this visit if you want to check all the 23 galleries out. The free android / iPhone app is very helpful. Come at around 10, it gets very crowded in the afternoon.
Michael Galus
27 July 2018
It had been awhile since I have been down to see this museum but was worth the trip from Reston! Still one of the best with plenty of interactive exhibits and kid friendly stuff to do!
Jackie D
18 October 2012
The "how things fly" exhibit is designed for kids but is really good for adults as it explains the physics of flight in a clear and fun manner. Pitch, roll, yaw, drag, lift, thrust!
Camilla
8 May 2016
This was probably one of the best museums I've visited. It is for all ages and the admission is free! I can recommend going here especially if you are into planes, like me :)
Jaspio Heidenstam
17 June 2016
Fantastic overview of the history and innovations of aviation and space exploration. Exhibits are fairly adult but there are plenty of activity stations to keep the young occupied.
Load more comments
foursquare.com
8.9/10
Udjin Onblack, Paul Colomiets and 1,326,752 more people have been here

Hotels nearby

See all hotels See all
Willard InterContinental Washington

starting $504

The Hay - Adams

starting $389

Sofitel Washington DC Lafayette Square Hotel

starting $467

W Washington D.C.

starting $395

JW Marriott Washington, DC

starting $349

BridgeStreet at Woodward Building Apartment

starting $319

Recommended sights nearby

See all See all
Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
National Museum of the American Indian

The National Museum of the American Indian is a museum dedicated to

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
National Mall

The National Mall is a landscaped park within the National Mall and

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
National Gallery of Art

The National Gallery of Art is a national art museum, located on the

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Andrew W. Mellon Memorial Fountain

The Andrew W. Mellon Memorial Fountain is a bronze fountain sculpture

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Smithsonian Institution

The Smithsonian Institution (Шаблон:PronEng) is an educational and r

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
National Museum of Natural History

The National Museum of Natural History is a natural history museum

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
The Lone Sailor

The Lone Sailor, a bronze statue, is a tribute to all the personnel of

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
United States Capitol

The United States Capitol is the meeting place of the United States

Similar tourist attractions

See all See all
Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Museum of the Rockies

The Museum of the Rockies, affiliated with Montana State University in

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Alfa Planetarium

Alfa Planetarium (translated from Planetario Alfa) is a planetarium

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
National Space Centre

The National Space Centre is one of the United Kingdom's leading

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
World Museum Liverpool

World Museum Liverpool is a large museum in Liverpool, England which

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Bangkok Planetarium

The Bangkok Planetarium is the oldest planetarium in Thailand. It is

See all similar places