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| Exhibitions | |
 Featured: In our banner above is the Boeing B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay, which is on display in the World War II Aviation exhibit station at the Udvar-Hazy Center. The B-29 was the most sophisticated propeller-driven bomber of World War II and the first bomber to house its crew in pressurized compartments. This particular airplane dropped the first atomic weapon used in combat on Hiroshima, Japan.
Also in this exhibit is the wildly successful Lockheed P-38J Lightning, shown above left. In the Pacific Theater, Lightning pilots downed more Japanese aircraft than pilots flying any other Army Air Forces warplane. It was designed by famed Lockheed engineer Clarence "Kelly" Johnson and his team.
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| Feature Story from Air & Space Magazine |  Hugh L. Dryden and the American Space Program. Learn just who was this Hugh Dryden for whom the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center is named. (NASA photo) |
| Sole Survivors and One-of-a-Kinds | |
In this new feature, we will showcase one of the many aircraft in the Museum's collection that is the sole surviving example of its type or the only one ever built.
 1912 Fowler-Gage Biplane. This biplane was manufactured by the Gage-McClay Company, which built at least four of its type. It is called the "Fowler-Gage" in recognition of its owner and pilot, Robert G. Fowler, who made numerous exhibition and passenger flights in it. He made his most famous flight in the airplane in 1913. With the Gage on floats, Fowler made an Isthmus of Panama crossing, taking off from the Pacific side on April 27. It was an extraordinarily dangerous flight, with no open areas available for emergency landings. Nevertheless, he completed the 83 km (52 miles) flight in one hour and 45 minutes, landing at Cristobal.
This aircraft is on display in the Pre-1920 Aviation exhibit station in the Udvar-Hazy Center.
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| This Month in Aviation and Space History |  Columbia Tragedy. February 1 marks the tenth anniversary of the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster. The shuttle broke up on re-entry due to damage caused by tank insulation that had fallen off during launch. As senior Space History curator Roger Launius stated in a December 2010 blog, "The tragedy... cannot be overemphasized. It led to a stand down of the space shuttle program for more than two years, a hiatus on most construction for the International Space Station, and the decision to retire the shuttle by the end of the decade. The loss of the crew of seven, including international astronauts, was traumatic." |
| Test Your Knowledge |  Can you name the original seven Mercury astronauts? Answer |
| New on the AirSpace Blog | |
 That Was the Year that Was...2012 in Air and Space, by Space History senior curator Roger Launius
Minor Planet 4262 DeVorkin, by Space History curator Michael Neufeld
The Archives Department's First Annniversary at the Udvar-Hazy Center, by archivist Elizabeth Borja
Reflections on "Explore the Universe," by Space History senior curator David DeVorkin
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| Great Read |  Space History senior curator Roger Launius has edited a new book, Exploring the Solar System: The History and Science of Planetary Exploration, published by Palgrave Macmillan. Through a succession of analytical essays on major aspects of the history of robotic planetary exploration, this book opens new vistas in the understanding of the development of planetary science in the Space Age. |
| New Lecture Series |
 Come by the Albert Einstein Planetarium in the Museum in Washington, DC every Monday at 10:30 am for a new lecture series, What's New in Space Science. Museum experts will present an awe-inspiring look at new space explorations and discoveries that are making headlines today. Free tickets can be obtained online in advance or in person just before the lecture. The talks last 25 minutes. |
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 In Your Neighborhood. In this new feature, we will highlight an object in the Museum's collection that is on loan to another museum, perhaps near you.
If you live in New England or plan on visiting there, you have a chance to see the space capsule Freedom 7 in which Alan Shepard, Jr. became the first American in space. It's on loan from the National Air and Space Museum to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston as part of an exhibit about the Space Race. It will be on display there until December 2015. The photo above left shows Freedom 7 arriving in Dorchester Harbor, Boston. Photo credit: Kennedy Library Foundation/Rick Friedman
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 Dornier Do 335 A-0 Pfeil (Arrow). This German twin engine fighter/bomber was developed late in World War II. The Germans claimed that a pilot flew a Do 335 at a speed of 846 km/h (474 mph) in level flight at a time when the official world speed record was 755 km/h (469 mph). This aircraft is on display in the Udvar-Hazy Center. |
 Fokker T-2. This Dutch-made aircraft made the first nonstop U.S. transcontinental flight in 1923. Under the auspices of the U.S. Army Air Service it took off from Long Island, New York, on May 2 and landed in San Diego, California, on May 3, slightly more than 26 hours and 50 minutes later. The airplane is on display at the Barron Hilton Pioneers of Flight Gallery in the Museum in Washington, DC.
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For more photos, search through the online collections imagery database. |
| Shop the SmithsonianStore.com |  Space Shuttle Discovery Commemorative Photo, Plaque and Coin. Salute Space Shuttle Discovery. Recognize both its historic missions and its recent arrival at the Udvar-Hazy Center with our exclusive Space Shuttle Discovery Commemorative Photo, Plaque, and Coin. |
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The National Air and Space Society Presents
A Panel Discussion for Members only
Caution and Boldness: Balancing Risk in Spaceflight
Featuring:
-- Dr. Steven J. Dick, astronomer, author, and historian of science
-- Alan Ladwig, deputy associate administrator for NASA Public Outreach
-- Ken Mattingly, astronaut, Apollo 16, and two space shuttle flights
-- Dr. June Scobee Rodgers, widow of Richard "Dick" Scobee (killed in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster), and founding chair, Challenger Center
Friday, February 1, 8:00 pm
At the Udvar-Hazy Center
Become a member for as little as $35 and receive access to members-only events and other benefits. Your membership directly supports the mission and programs of the National Air and Space Museum.
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Smithsonian's Stars Lecture Series
All lectures take place in the Museum in Washington, DC, begin at 5:15, and are followed by stargazing in the observatory, weather permitting
Volcano Breath
Presenter: Liz Cottrell
Saturday, February 2
Venus: 50 Years After Mariner 2
Presenter: Bruce Campbell
Saturday, February 16
A Universe of Data: How We Get Science Out of Space Telescopes
Presenter: Jonathan McDowell
Saturday, February 23
The Smithsonian's Stars Lecture Series is made possible by a grant from NASA. |
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Stargazing at the Public Observatory
February 2, 16, and 23, 6:30 pm, weather permitting
At the Museum in Washington, DC |
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Family Day: African American Pioneers in Aviation
Saturday, February 9, 10:00 am to 3:00 pm
At the Museum in Washington, DC |
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Family Day: African American Pioneers in Aviation
Saturday, February 23, 10:00 am to 3:00 pm
At the Udvar-Hazy Center |
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Recurring Activities
New! What's New in Space ScienceEvery Monday at 10:30 am In the Albert Einstein Planetarium at the Museum in Washington, DC A look at new space explorations and discoveries that are making headlines today
Super Science Saturdays
At the Udvar-Hazy Center
Every second Saturday; This month: February 9; Topic: Scientists and Inventors
Demonstrations and hands-on activities related to aviation and space science
This series is made possible by the generous support of FBR.
"Flights of Fancy" Stories for Children
Both locations
Variable schedule
A flight- or space-related story and art activity recommended for ages 3-8
This event is made possible by the generous support of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation.
Ask an Expert Gallery Talks
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.
Public Observatory
At the Museum in Washington, DC
Wednesdays through Sundays from Noon to 3:00 pm weather permitting; special nighttime viewings at 6:30 pm on February 2, 16, and 23.
Look through a 16-inch telescope to discover the wonders of the Universe.
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.
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| One Museum, Two Locations |
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 Museum in Washington, D.C.
6th & Independence, S.W.
Washington, DC
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 Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center
14390 Air and Space Museum Pkwy.
Chantilly, Virginia
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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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