National Air and Space Museum
@airandspace
Followers
397K
Following
5K
Media
19K
Statuses
48K
Sharing inspiring stories, moments of awe, and one-of-a-kind artifacts from aviation and space history. Start exploring: https://t.co/Nw4JxChkHI ✈️ 🚀 🪐
Smithsonian, Washington DC
Joined May 2008
The Helicopter Air Service, Inc., on its inaugural flight #OTD in 1949, carried this mail pouch of domestic U.S. airmail from the roof of the Chicago Post Office to the airmail service field at Midway Airport.
0
0
33
On #TDIH in 1977, exactly two years to the day after Viking 1 launched to Mars, Voyager 2 launched on a mission to the outer planets:
4
20
112
Join Hillsdale College President Larry Arnn, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and other leaders to remember and honor the stories of great Americans in our new video series:
60
213
1K
50 years ago today, Viking 1 launched on an 11-month journey to Mars. Viking was the first U.S. mission to land a spacecraft safely on the surface of Mars and return images of the surface. The Viking Lander proof test article is on display in DC:
5
39
156
Today in 1947, Navy Cmdr. Turner F. CaIdwell (right) set a new world air-speed record of 640.663 mph while flying the D-558-1 Skystreak #1. Five days later, Marine Maj. Marion Carl (left) broke that record, flying 650.796 mph:
2
15
98
65 years ago today, a USAF C-119J recovered the Discoverer 14 film capsule, which contained top-secret spy photos of the Soviet Union. It was the first midair recovery of a capsule returning from orbit.
4
75
325
Pilot, astronaut, and former NASA administrator Gen. Charlie Bolden celebrates his birthday today! 🥳🎂 . Bolden received our 2019 Trophy for Lifetime Achievement in recognition of his pioneering career. Watch the video:
2
25
222
On #TDIH in 1871, aviation legend Orville Wright was born in Dayton, Ohio. In 1939, Franklin Delano Roosevelt issued a presidential proclamation designating this day as #NationalAviationDay
6
62
272
Happy #NationalAviationDay, which honestly is every day at the National Air and Space Museum!. To celebrate, tell us: What's your favorite aircraft in our collection?
27
66
366
#OTD in 1940, the North American B-25 Mitchell aircraft flew for the first time. The B-25 gained recognition during the famous Doolittle Raid in 1942.
5
29
159
The most fun image & video creation tool in the world is here. Try it for free in the Grok App.
0
123
976
The 19th Amendment was ratified on this day in 1920. In this blog, we explore women's suffrage stories found within our Archives, including flights in support of suffrage, comments on suffrage from popular female aviators, and more:
0
25
80
Astronaut Mike Massimino has the right stuff. The two-time space shuttle veteran will speak at this year's John H. Glenn Lecture in Space History on September 4 at the Museum in DC. Reserve your free tickets:
6
36
265
On this day in 2003, our restoration of the B-29 Enola Gay was officially completed, with the aircraft fully reassembled for the first time since 1960. Enola Gay went on display at the Udvar-Hazy Center when it opened a few months later.
4
32
299
65 years ago today, the CORONA satellite Discoverer 14 took the first U.S. photograph of a Soviet military site from space.
5
26
214
A flying chipmunk 🐿️ . On this day in 1987, this De Havilland-Canada DHC-1A Chipmunk "Pennzoil Special" was delivered to the Museum. Veteran aerobatic and movie pilot Art Scholl flew it in airshows around the country in the 1970s and early 1980s. #AirSpacePhoto
1
12
88
Astronomer Asaph Hall discovered Phobos, the larger of Mars' two moons #OTD in 1877. The Red Planet is named for the Roman god of war (Mars) and its moons are named for the personification of fear (Phobos) and terror (Deimos).
2
19
135
On #TDIH in 1951, Col. Fred J. Ascani set a world speed record of 635.686 mph in a F-86E Sabre at the National Air Races. The flight earned him the Mackay Trophy, which recognizes the most meritorious flight of the year.
0
20
120
Like other pioneering aviators before them, the crew of Double Eagle II made history crossing the Atlantic. Double Eagle II completed the first balloon flight across the Atlantic #OTD in 1978, flying the 3,100-mile flight from the US to France in 137 hours and 6 minutes.
2
13
111
Happy birthday to Gene Kranz! 🎉. NASA flight director and Apollo legend, Kranz's iconic vests came to represent the strong and can-do approach that pervaded his mission control team. His white vest from Apollo 13 is in our collection:
25
232
2K
Happy birthday to Margaret Hamilton! 🥳. Hamilton led the development of the flight software design that powered Apollo 11’s historic journey to the Moon. Discover her story on the blog:
8
108
535
#OTD in 1969, Darryl Greenamyer broke the 30-year-old speed record for piston-engine aircraft held by the German Messerschmitt Me 209 when he reached 483 mph in this heavily modified Grumman Bearcat. It's on display at the Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia. #AirSpacePhoto
1
21
149