AirSpace

National Air and Space Museum · airandspace.si.edu

We see the connections to aviation and space in literally everything. From our favorite movies and the songs in our playlists to the latest news of space exploration and your commercial flight home for the holidays – aerospace is literally everywhere you look. Twice a month, our hosts riff on some of the coolest stories of aviation and space history, news, and culture. We promise, whether you’re an AVGeek, wannabe Space Camper, or none of the above, you’ll find a connection to your life and learn something interesting in the process.

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Episodes 205

AirSpace Revisited: Art Decade
3d ago · 24:58
The National Air and Space Museum's newly renovated building in Washington D.C. includes a beautiful new art gallery to showcase the museum's extensive collection of art, much of which came from the NASA Art Program. This week, we're revisiting a classic AirSpace episode all about that program and its connection to the Museum. The NASA Art Program was organized beginning in the 1960s, where a small number of American artists got tons of access to launch sites, clean rooms, space suits, spacecraft—you name it, they painted it. The result was thousands of works that represented some (but not all
50 Years: Onward and Upward
10d ago · 22:30
If you haven’t been to the National Air and Space Museum in D.C. for a while, you may notice a few things have changed…actually, just about everything in the building, including the building itself, has been completely overhauled. What started as some exterior renovation more than a decade ago became a complete reimagining of our iconic museum. Every exhibit space has been redesigned with 40% more artifacts on display than before. In the fourth and final episode of our limited series “50 Years of Air + Space,” we discuss the history, intentions, and process of this project we call Transformati
50 Years: New Ideas
1mo ago · 24:38
As the National Air and Space Museum built its collection and its identity, it also needed to find its footing as a place for science and research. In the third episode of our four-part limited series “50 Years of Air + Space,” we’re exploring the history of scholarship at the Museum. We’ll dive into early debates over what type of research this new Museum would do and what type of academics would be a part of the team. We also hear the stories of how we came to host the Center for Earth and Planetary Studies, and how the study of the history and culture of aerospace became core to our mission
50 Years: Origins
1mo ago · 29:39
The National Air and Space Museum’s building in downtown Washington DC just turned 50 years old, but the Museum’s story began long before the ribbon-cutting in 1976. In this episode, we’re continuing our four-part limited series “50 Years of Air + Space” by going back in time for the Museum’s origin story. We’ll explore early aerospace connections and artifacts at the Smithsonian and the interesting places they were displayed before a permanent home came together. We’ll also learn when and why “and Space” was added to our name, how competing visions of the Museum shaped what it became, and who
50 Years: Opening Day
2mo ago · 27:18
On July 1, 1976, the National Air and Space Museum opened its doors to the public. It was an unforgettable debut for an iconic building, complete with a flyover from the Air Force’s Thunderbirds, speeches from President Gerald Ford (and a certain Apollo astronaut), and a ribbon-cutting triggered by a signal from a spacecraft on its way to Mars. There was nothing quite like the National Air and Space Museum at the time, and thousands of people lined up on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. to be among the first to see artifacts like the Spirit of St Louis, the Apollo command module Columbia,
AirSpace Bonus! Sidedoor: The Wright Sister
2mo ago · 40:47
We'll be back soon with new episodes of AirSpace! In the mean time, here's a treat from our friends at Sidedoor. Orville and Wilbur Wright have been immortalized as the men who opened the skies to human flight. But could they have achieved such great heights without the wind beneath their wings—their sister? Katharine Wright was her brothers' biggest champion, official spokesperson, closest confidante, and the only one of the Wright siblings with a college degree. For years, Katharine, Wilbur, and Orville were inseparable—until tragedy and a love affair upended everything. This is the story of
AirSpace Revisited: How Do You Sleep?
3mo ago · 26:50
One of the most commonly asked questions about living and working in space is where and how the astronauts sleep. Watching the astronauts set up their sleeping arrangements on the recent Artemis II mission around the moon got us thinking about this topic again, so we're revisiting a favorite episode from 2022. Sleeping in space goes back almost as far as there have been people in space (specifically, a cosmonaut who caught some shuteye in 1961). Astronauts have slept in capsules, shuttles, space stations, and even on the Moon. Sleep is an important part of an astronaut’s health, particularly f
Whirly-Girl #13
3mo ago · 27:43
In the late 1940s and early 1950s, helicopters were creating quite a buzz. After limited use during World War II, manufacturers ramped up production and enthusiasm for vertical flight soared. Although the dream of “a helicopter in every garage” never quite materialized, more civilian pilots earned their helicopter ratings. One of them was Jean Ross Howard, who became the 13th woman in the world to do so. In 1955, Jean brought together every woman helicopter pilot she could find to form an organization known as the Whirly-Girls. Today on AirSpace, Matt and Emily take a whirlwind tour of 20th-ce
Snoopy in the Sky
4mo ago · 21:45
IT'S A BIRD! IT'S A PLANE! IT'S A . . . DOGHOUSE? Throughout Charles Schulz's Peanuts stories, Snoopy has used his incomparable imagination to go on iconic aviation and space adventures. He's transformed himself into a World War I flying ace, a charter pilot, an astronaut, and even a helicopter. Today on AirSpace, we learn how Charlie Brown's best friend Snoopy became a bona fide aerospace legend. We also learn about his impact on real-life aerospace industry and culture, including as a symbol of flight safety at NASA and a very special role on the uncrewed Artemis I mission in 2022. Thanks to
GO, SPEED RACERS! The 1929 Women's Air Derby
4mo ago · 27:14
SPEED . . . SKILL . . . SABOTAGE? In August 1929, twenty pilots took off from Santa Monica in a historic and thrilling air race. The all-female lineup—including big names like Amelia Earhart, Pancho Barnes, and Louise Thaden—hopped from city to city across the U.S. on their way to the finish line in Cleveland. Though it was dismissed by some at the time as the "Powder Puff Derby," the Women's Air Derby of 1929 was a major race between world-class pilots. It was also a national sensation at a time when pilots like Earhart and Barnes were genuine celebrities. And as if the race itself wasn't exc
A Tale of Two Satellites
5mo ago · 40:51
In the Cold War, space was a new and critical frontier for intelligence. Many early satellites were spy satellites (although they did a bit of science, too). In this episode, we learn about two early U.S. spy satellite programs, GRAB and CORONA. We learn what motivated these programs, why they were so important to future satellite development, and how to recover film capsules mid-air using a gigantic hook on the bottom of a plane. Thanks to our guests in this episode: Keith Masback, intelligence expert Andrew Ross, Guggenheim Fellow, National Air and Space Museum Find the transcript for this e
Scandalous
5mo ago · 25:01
Today on AirSpace: the scandal of the century! Matt and Emily are joined by friend of the show and Museum curator Bob van der Linden to learn all the twists and turns of the Air Mail Crisis of 1934. The controversy centered on one question: who should fly the mail? Conflicts between brand-new commercial airlines, Congress, and the Roosevelt administration reached a boiling point that led to lucrative contracts being cancelled and the disastrous involvement of the Army Air Corps. In the aftermath, new regulation shaped commercial flight and the Postal Service for generations. This story is a po
Kings of the Capsule
6mo ago · 38:58
July 24th, 1969. After their historic mission to the Moon’s surface and back, there was one final step in the Apollo 11 mission: splashdown. As the command module floated (gracefully, we are sure) in the Pacific Ocean, a team of elite Navy divers known as Frogmen swam up to help the astronauts safely and securely onto a helicopter that would take them to the USS Hornet. Today on AirSpace, we hear from three of the Frogmen who plucked the Apollo astronauts out of the drink (and may have engaged in some horseplay on the floating capsule). We also hear from our Museum’s own Apollo Curator about t
Gone to the Dogs
6mo ago · 31:24
Unfortunately, there are still more humans than dogs in the average airport terminal. Still, it’s not uncommon to see dogs as you run to catch your flight. Some dogs, like humans, are just travelers passing through. But others, increasingly, are at the airport to take care of business. Today on AirSpace: it’s Canine Career Day! We discuss the surprisingly wide variety of airport dog jobs, and hear from a few lucky humans about their unique coworkers. Matt and Emily learn about therapy dogs with trading cards; beagles and Labradors sniffing luggage for safety (and prohibited agricultural produc
AirSpace Live! Cooking in Space
7mo ago · 35:21
Space travel is hungry work. Humans have spent nearly six decades experimenting with different ways to feed astronauts (with mixed reviews). As astronauts live and work in space on longer missions further from home, a new generation of chefs and food scientists is thinking outside the box (and can, and tube, and pouch). What if space travelers had kitchens complete with appliances and pantries full of ingredients? In this episode of AirSpace, recorded in front of a live audience at the National Air and Space Museum, Matt and Emily spoke with an expert panel about the past and future of cooking
Movie Mini: Arrival
7mo ago · 23:37
Science fiction heroes aren't usually humanities professors, but Arrival (2016) is the exception to that rule. Amy Adams stars as Dr. Louise Banks, who may be the only person on Earth who can figure out what a pair of mysterious aliens are trying to say. Today on AirSpace, Matt and Emily discuss the film, its source material (Ted Chiang's novella Story of Your Life), linguistics, non-linear time, extraterrestrials, explosions, geopolitical tension, oat milk, and other mysteries of the universe. The transcript for this episode is at s.si.edu/airspaces11e4 Subscribe to our monthly newsletter at
Miasma of Incandescent Plasma
8mo ago · 24:25
Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how we wonder . . . well, where to even begin? How do stars form from gas and dust? Why do some stars go supernova? And what the heck is the "main sequence?" We brought in one of the Museum's astronomy educators for a stellar conversation about the birth, life, and death of stars. There's plenty to learn, and even more to wonder about, today on AirSpace. Thanks to our guest in this episode: Shauna Edson, Astronomy Educator, National Air and Space Museum The transcript for this episode is at s.si.edu/airspaces11e3. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter at s.si.edu/a
The Journey of a Suitcase
8mo ago · 24:27
Have you ever wondered what happens to your checked bag once you've handed it over to the airline? Us too! We took a field trip to Dulles Airport to visit our friends at United Airlines and find out. Today on AirSpace, follow a suitcase on its journey from check-in through TSA, airline sorting, handling on the aircraft, and back to you on the baggage carousel. Thanks to our guest in this episode: Jim Decker, Director of Ramp Operations for United Airlines at Dulles International Airport The transcript for this episode is at s.si.edu/airspaces11e2 Subscribe to our monthly newsletter at s.si.edu
Eye of the Hurricane
9mo ago · 35:05
SEEKING: full time aviators slash weather enthusiasts for unique opportunity. SCHEDULE: hurricane season. WORK SITE: Lakeland, FL; Biloxi, MS; and the eye of a hurricane. Members of the Air Force and NOAA Corps spend months each year flying back and forth through hurricanes collecting information vital to weather prediction. On the Season 11 premiere of AirSpace, we talk to three of them and get the download on what it takes to do that job. Thanks to our guests in this episode: Lieutenant Colonel Mark Withee, Air Force 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron Commander Kevin Doremus, NOAA Corps Li
AirSpace Bonus! There's More to That: Auroras
10mo ago · 30:15
AirSpace will be back with Season 11 very soon. In the meantime we thought y'all would enjoy this episode from the Smithsonian Magazine's podcast, There's More to That: Why Auroras Are Suddenly Everywhere All at Once. For millennia, auroras have both enchanted and haunted human beings. Ancient lore is filled with myths attempting to explain what caused the celestial phenomenon. More recent historic documentation of auroras may even help us predict damaging solar storms in the future. As we head into a year expected to bring the best northern lights in two decades, we consider the science behin
Home Front: Anything-to-Anywhere
11mo ago · 35:02
The Women's Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) are relatively well-known in the U.S. today (to hear more about their story, see our previous episode), but they weren't the only women who flew planes in World War II. A small group of Americans joined pilots from 25 other countries in England's Air Transport Auxiliary, where they ferried hundreds of thousands of planes across the British Isles. Among the pilots were women from all countries and men too old or otherwise unfit for active duty (including a WWI Ace with only one eye and arm). They braved poor weather, mechanically iffy planes, regular b
Home Front: Eyes on the Coast
11mo ago · 26:06
Just off the coast of the United States, a menace lurked in the water. German U-boats were a very real problem for merchant vessels and war ships during World War II. With all available military airplanes and pilots needed on the front lines, and the Coast Guard mostly lacking aviation assets, the U.S. needed to get creative. Enter: the brand new Civil Air Patrol. This entirely civilian effort put private planes and pilots to work spotting U-Boats and other threats in the water. They even carried bombs on coastal patrols. The CAP also did search and rescue, medical flights, border patrol and m
Home Front: 50,000 Planes
1y ago · 25:22
In 1940, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt broadcast a new goal in one of his famous Fireside Chats: he wanted to see 50,000 planes a year built in the United States. Up until that point, the U.S. had built just over 30,000 military planes . . . total. 50,000 seemed like an impossible goal. But with war looming, "Rosie" rolled up her sleeves and said "We can do it!" And she did. Millions of war workers flooded cities and factories to take jobs not open to them before the war, turning out plane after plane to support the war effort. Manufacturing, labor, and the aviation industry would never
Home Front: Students of the Air
1y ago · 19:31
In 1937, there were fewer than 20,000 licensed pilots in the United States. The Civilian Pilot Training Program increased that number to more than 400,000 in less than five years. With national "airmindedness" as their goal in the run-up to World War II, the US government created the program to train students (10% of whom could be women) on the ground and in the air at colleges and universities across the country. Later on, trainees had to enlist after training, which meant women were barred. Throughout this limited series, almost every pilot we’ll meet either got their flight training with th
AirSpace Revisited: Fly Girl
1y ago · 38:59
The Women's Airforce Service Pilots were a huge part of civilian aviation during WWII. Ahead of our new limited series, Home Front, we've brought back our season four episode. Episodes of Home Front start August 14th. On this episode of AirSpace we’re spotlighting the heroic service and enduring legacy of the Women Airforce Service Pilots, or WASP. More than 1,000 of these fearless women flew as civilians for the Army Air Forces during World War II. These skilled pilots performed jobs on the home front – ferrying planes, towing targets, transporting personnel – flying almost every type of mili

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AirSpace

Episodes 205

AirSpace Revisited: Art Decade

50 Years: Onward and Upward

50 Years: New Ideas

50 Years: Origins

50 Years: Opening Day

AirSpace Bonus! Sidedoor: The Wright Sister

AirSpace Revisited: How Do You Sleep?

Whirly-Girl #13

Snoopy in the Sky

GO, SPEED RACERS! The 1929 Women's Air Derby

A Tale of Two Satellites

Scandalous

Kings of the Capsule

Gone to the Dogs

AirSpace Live! Cooking in Space

Movie Mini: Arrival

Miasma of Incandescent Plasma

The Journey of a Suitcase

Eye of the Hurricane

AirSpace Bonus! There's More to That: Auroras

Home Front: Anything-to-Anywhere

Home Front: Eyes on the Coast

Home Front: 50,000 Planes

Home Front: Students of the Air

AirSpace Revisited: Fly Girl

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Episodes 205

AirSpace Revisited: Art Decade

50 Years: Onward and Upward

50 Years: New Ideas

50 Years: Origins

50 Years: Opening Day

AirSpace Bonus! Sidedoor: The Wright Sister

AirSpace Revisited: How Do You Sleep?

Whirly-Girl #13

Snoopy in the Sky

GO, SPEED RACERS! The 1929 Women's Air Derby

A Tale of Two Satellites

Scandalous

Kings of the Capsule

Gone to the Dogs

AirSpace Live! Cooking in Space

Movie Mini: Arrival

Miasma of Incandescent Plasma

The Journey of a Suitcase

Eye of the Hurricane

AirSpace Bonus! There's More to That: Auroras

Home Front: Anything-to-Anywhere

Home Front: Eyes on the Coast

Home Front: 50,000 Planes

Home Front: Students of the Air

AirSpace Revisited: Fly Girl