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December 2012
Exhibitions

Bell X-1Featured. The spectacular Milestones of Flight gallery is what you see when you first enter the Museum in Washington, DC. It never fails to instill a sense of wonder and amazement. It showcases the most revered icons of flight: Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis seen in the banner above, Chuck Yeager's Bell X-1 Glamorous Glennis seen at left, John Glenn's Mercury capsule Friendship 7, and the Apollo 11 command module Columbia, among many others. (The 1903 Wright Flyer, which previously occupied a place of honor suspended in the center of Milestones of Flight, has been moved into its own gallery on the second floor.)

 

Closing Soon. Two art exhibits in the Museum in Washington, DC are closing soon: Jet as Art closes November 25, and Fly Marines! The Centennial of Marine Corps Aviation: 1912 - 2012 closes at the end of January.

Feature Story from Air & Space Magazine
Curtiss XP-55-CSThe Smithsonian Roadshow. Can't make it to the Museum? There might be an artifact on loan right in your neighborhood.
This Month in Aviation and Space History
Lunar Roving VehicleDecember 7, 1972. Forty years ago, the last of the Apollo space missions -- Apollo 17 -- took off for the Moon. On December 14, 1972, Astronaut Gene Cernan became the last man to step off the lunar surface. Cernan's spacesuit --Moon dust and all -- is on display in the Apollo to the Moon gallery in the Museum in Washington, DC. In the same display, you can also see a lunar roving vehicle like that used on the Moon, along with many other objects related to Apollo 17 and other missions.
Test your Knowledge
Gene CernanSpacecraft Nicknames. Besides Apollo 17, Gene Cernan, along with Tom Stafford and John Young, flew on another Apollo mission -- Apollo 10 -- the "dress rehearsal" for Apollo 11. What were the names given by the Apollo 10 crew to the Command Module and Lunar Module? Hint: they were taken from a cartoon that is still popular today. Answer
What's New in Planetary Studies

Ridge and Trough System on MercuryMESSENGER Finds Unusual Groups of Ridges and Troughs on Mercury. The Mercury Surface, Space Environment, Geochemistry and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft has discovered assemblages of tectonic landforms unlike any previously found on Mercury or elsewhere in the Solar System. The findings are reported in a paper led by Smithsonian scientist Thomas Watters, "Extension and contraction within volcanically buried impact craters and basins on Mercury," scheduled for publication in the December issue of the journal Geology. Read more.

New on the AirSpace Blog

Public ObservatoryMy Cuban Missile Crisis, by Allan Janus, museum specialist in the Archives Department

 

"A Company of Scholars:" A Brief History of the National Air and Space Museum's Fellowship Program, by Aeronautics Department curator Dom Pisano

 

Life and Liquor at "Leftover" Field, by Elizabeth C. Borja, reference services archivist in the Museum's Archives Department

 

Stanley Moves In, by Carlene Stephens, curator at the National Museum of American History

 

Going Three Billion Miles at the Public Observatory, by Genevi�ve de Messieres and Katie Nagy, astronomy educators

 

Learning Takes Flight, by Tim Grove, chief of Museum Learning

Great Read -- And It's Free
Coming Home book coverNew E-book. Department of Space History senior curator Roger Launius has co-authored with Dennis R. Jenkins a new NASA e-book, Coming Home: Reentry and Recovery from Space. As its introduction describes, the book relates "in a chronological manner the way in which NASA has approached the challenge of reentering the atmosphere after a space mission and the technologies associated with safely dealing with the friction of this encounter and the methods used for landing safely on Earth." The book can be downloaded for free from the NASA website. Read more about it in Launius' blog.
Watch Lectures Online
John GlennWebcasts. Watch archived videos of past lectures going back to 2007, including such popular talks as Eyeball to Eyeball: The Inside (Photographic) Story of the Cuban Missile Crisis; John Glenn: Earning the Right Stuff as a Decorated Marine Aviator and Navy Test Pilot; and Bob Hoover: Legendary Stick and Rudder Man.
Unique Gift Ideas 
Wall of Honor National Air and Space Society Membership. A membership is a wonderful gift to present to your friends and family who are aviation and space exploration enthusiasts. Members enjoy a subscription to Air & Space magazine, special event opportunities, discounts, and more. Memberships begin at $35. Learn more about member benefits.

Wall of Honor. Pay tribute to someone special by having his or her name engraved on this permanent memorial at the only national museum dedicated to celebrating the pioneers of flight. Anyone with a passion for flight is eligible. You will receive a handsome Certificate of Registry to present to your honoree. The Wall of Honor, pictured above, is located along a tree-lined walkway leading into the National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. Tributes start at $100. Learn more about the Wall of Honor.
 
Both gifts can be ordered online and directly support the mission and programs of the National Air and Space Museum.

Free Standard Shipping on Holiday Gifts with Promotion Code

Good Deal. For a limited time only, our What's Up subscribers receive free standard shipping at SmithsonianStore.com! Enter Promotion Code SPACE in the shopping cart to receive your free shipping. Every purchase provides important funds for the Smithsonian's programs and exhibits. Offer expires at midnight on December 16th.

 

Check out these great air and space gifts, or shop our huge selection of other exclusive gift ideas.

 

December's Featured Item:

Space shuttle construction setBest-Lock Space Shuttle Construction Toy. Let kids launch their own exciting space adventures with this 330-piece Best-Lock Space Shuttle Construction Toy. Fully compatible with other major brands, the set includes a space shuttle with booster rockets, a launch pad, a Moon rover, and four astronaut figures.

Photo Gallery
Curtiss Junior at the Udvar-Hazy CenterCurtiss Junior. On October 17, the Curtiss-Wright CW-1 Junior was moved from the Paul E. Garber Preservation, Restoration, and Storage Facility in Suitland, Maryland to the Udvar-Hazy Center. It is ready to be suspended near the spiral staircase in the south end. The airplane had been undergoing restoration by a team of volunteers and employees for about ten years. The Curtiss-Wright CW-1 Junior was a moderately priced sport aircraft produced before the Depression for the general public.
Chinese festival kiteSeriously Old Kite. In the photo at left is one of the Chinese kites that were the first aeronautical objects given to the Smithsonian. This festival kite, made of silk on a bamboo frame and decorated with a bear and snake motif, was one of a group presented to the Smithsonian by the Imperial Chinese Commission to the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia in 1876.

Stanley move into Time and NavigationStanley the Car. Museum employees are seen here moving the car known as Stanley through the Milestones of Flight gallery. Stanley is a 2005 Volkswagen Touareg that was modified to navigate without remote control and without a human driver in the seat. Stanley won the 2005 Grand Challenge, a robot race sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), by successfully navigating 212 kilometers (132 miles) across desert terrain. This artifact is in the National Museum of American History's collection. It will be on display in the National Air and Space Museum's Time and Navigation exhibition as an example of satellite navigation. The gallery is scheduled to open in spring 2013. Read more about Stanley, its significance, and what it took to move it into the Museum. 

 

For more photos, search through the online collections imagery database

Events and Activities
To plan beyond the current month, see the online calendar.

Smithsonian's Stars Lecture Series

A Universe of Data: How we get Science out of Space Telescopes

Jonathan McDowell, astrophysicist, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory

Saturday, December 1, 5:15 pm

The Mission of the Mars Science Laboratory, Curiosity
John Grant, geologist, Center for Earth and Planetary Studies

Saturday, December 15, 5:15 pm

Both lectures take place in the Albert Einstein Planetarium at the Museum in Washington, DC

Stargazing in the Observatory

December 1 and 15, 6:30 - 8:30 pm

At the Museum in Washington, DC

Family Day: Solar System Exploration at 50

Saturday, December 1, 10:00 am - 3:00 pm

At the Museum in Washington, DC

Recurring Activities

 

Super Science Saturdays

At the Udvar-Hazy Center

Every second Saturday; this month: December 8; Topic: The Wright brothers

Demonstrations and hands-on activities related to aviation and space science

This series is made possible by the generous support of FBR.   

 

Public Observatory
At the Museum in Washington, DC
Wednesday through Sundays noon - 3:00 pm, weather permitting; special nighttime viewings on December 1 and 15, 6:30 - 8:30 pm.
Look through a 16-inch telescope to discover the wonders of the Universe. 

 

"Flights of Fancy" Stories for Children
At the Museum in Washington, DC
Variable schedule
A flight- or space-related story and art activity for ages three through eight
This event is made possible by the generous support of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. 

 

Ask an Expert Lectures
Both locations
Wednesday, Noon, at the Museum in Washington, DC
Second and fourth Thursdays, 12:30, at the Udvar-Hazy Center
Short talks about objects in the Museum and aviation- and space-related topics

 

Author Book Signings
Both locations
Variable schedule
Buy a book, have it autographed, and take home a great memento or gift.

Imax Movies
Both locations
Variable titles, schedules, and prices
Experience the thrill of watching movies on a giant screen with surround-sound.

Albert Einstein Planetarium
At the Museum in Washington, DC
Variable titles and schedules; some shows are free
Zoom through the cosmos enveloped in moving images and spine-tingling sound.

One Museum, Two Locations
 

National Mall buildingMuseum in Washington, D.C.
6th & Independence, S.W.
Washington, DC

Udvar-Hazy CenterSteven F. Udvar-Hazy Center
14390 Air and Space Museum Pkwy.
Chantilly, Virginia

 

 
Open every day from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. except December 25
Admission is free. Udvar-Hazy Center parking: $15, free after 4:00 p.m.
For information call (202) 633-1000.

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