AirSpace

National Air and Space Museum

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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S12 · E2
Thursday · 32 min
The Ballad of Willie Watkins
Operation Mincemeat is a hit Broadway musical, and it's based on a remarkable true mission that saved hundreds of lives and helped win World War II. This musical has everything you could want in a screwball comedy: spies, dead bodies, big personalities, romance, double-crossing, and an American pilot who crash-lands into the story at the worst possible moment. In this episode, we talk with Natasha Hodgson, Mincemeat co-creator and performer, and Broadway cast member Jeff Kready about the inspiration for the musical and how they brought these larger-than-life characters to the stage (all 87 of them!). We’re also joined by military aviation expert Dr. Roger Connor to dig deeper into the story of William Watkins (called Willie in the musical), the American pilot who almost blew the whole operation. Thanks to our guests in this episode: - Natasha Hodgson, co-creator and performer, Operation Mincemeat - Jeff Kready, performer, Operation Mincemeat - Dr. Roger Connor, Aeronautics Curator, National Air and Space Museum For the episode transcript and more information, visit https://airandspace.si.edu/airspace-podcast/operation-mincemeat. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter at https://s.si.edu/airspacenewsletter. AirSpace is created by the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum.
S12 · E1
October 8 · 36 min
Star Trek at 60: AirSpace Live!
Star Trek: The Original Series only aired for three seasons (1966 to 1969), but it launched a fanbase that transformed pop culture. Trek fans pioneered letter-writing campaigns, cosplay, and modern fan conventions. They reshaped the franchise, fan culture, and even real science on Planet Earth. To celebrate the 60th anniversary of Star Trek, we hosted a live taping of AirSpace at the Museum all about the history and cultural impact of Trek and its fans. Matt and Emily were joined on stage by Museum curator and Trek expert Dr. Margaret Weitekamp and a very special guest: actor Jonathan Del Arco, who played Hugh the Borg on Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Picard. In this episode, we talk about Trek and its fans from the early days to today, including some personal Trek connections shared with us by fans who came to see the show. We discuss how (and why) we interpret Trek at the Museum and the Trek objects in our collection--including Leonard Nimoy’s prosthetic Spock ear tips, our many tribbles, and the 11-foot studio model of the Starship Enterprise from The Original Series (whose display case just got a major glow-up). Jonathan also shared how he got cast on The Next Generation and what it was like to come back for Picard, and told us what it’s like to be on the other side of the table at fan conventions (and about the first time he met Nichelle Nichols--at a hotel ice machine!). Thanks to our guests in this episode: Jonathan Del Arco, actor and activist Margaret Weitekamp, curator and chair of Space History, National Air and Space Museum For the episode transcript and more information, visit https://airandspace.si.edu/airspace-podcast/trek-60-live. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter at https://s.si.edu/airspacenewsletter. Further links: Starship Enterprise Studio Model: https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/model-starship-enterprise-television-show-star-trek/nasm_A19740668000 Leonard Nimoy's Spock ear tips: https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/ear-tips-spock-leonard-nimoy-star-trek/nasm_A20220161000 Tribbles (assorted): https://airandspace.si.edu/explore/collections/search?edan_q=tribble AirSpace is created by the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum.
September 24 · 1 hr 15 min
AirSpace Bonus! Escape this Podcast: Star Search
We’ll be back with new AirSpace episodes on October 8th. In the meantime, here’s something a little different. AirSpace co-hosts Matt and Emily recently guest-starred on Escape This Podcast, where they played through a custom audio escape room. Listen to find out if a geologist and a museum curator have what it takes to escape a spacecraft filled with an unusual amount of puzzles… Speaking of escape rooms: keep an eye on the National Air and Space Museum’s event page for more info on our very own escape room program at the Museum this December. We’ll have more to say on that soon, but we’re cooking up something really fun! Special thanks to Dani Siller and Bill Sunderland at Consume This Media for collaborating with us on this episode and designing an out-of-this world story for our crew. To view the images discussed in this episode, use this link: https://www.consumethismedia.com/s19airspace. Find the transcript of this episode and more information at https://airandspace.si.edu/airspace-podcast/escape-bonus. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter at https://s.si.edu/airspacenewsletter. AirSpace is created by the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum.
September 10 · 31 min
AirSpace Revisited: Me and the Sky
In honor of the 25th anniversary of the September 11th attacks, we're looking back on our 2020 episode about the Broadway musical Come From Away. If you’re a Broadway fan, you’ve likely heard about Come From Away—the Tony-award-winning smash-hit musical with a story firmly rooted in generations of aviation history. On September 11, 2001, 38 commercial airliners were diverted out of US air space to a small town with a big airport called Gander, Newfoundland. Come From Away puts a spotlight on Beverley Bass, American Airlines’ first woman Captain who commanded one of the aircraft. Our hosts sit down with Beverley to hear the story of her incredible career firsthand, and with Come from Away’s writers, Irene Sankoff and David Hein, to learn how they were inspired to write an entire musical about the biggest aviation hub you’ve likely never heard of. Early aviation history, pioneering pilots, and one community’s story of unity on a day of infamy—there’s a lot going on in this episode (but still no intermission). Thanks to our guests in this episode: Beverley Bass Irene Sankoff David Hein Find the transcript for this episode and more information at https://airandspace.si.edu/airspace-podcast/Me-and-the-Sky-Revisited. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter at https://s.si.edu/airspacenewsletter. AirSpace is created by the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum.
August 27 · 24 min
AirSpace Revisited: Art Decade
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, not by a long shot) of the most important art ever inspired by space exploration. In this episode, we sketch out the origin story of a space agency art’s program, explain where our museum enters the picture, and explore works within and beyond the NASA art scene. Thanks to our guests in this episode, artists Jamie Wyeth and E.V. Day. Find the transcript for this episode and more information at https://airandspace.si.edu/airspace-podcast/Art-Decade-Revisited. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter at https://s.si.edu/airspacenewsletter.
August 20 · 22 min
50 Years: Onward and Upward
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 Transformation, and preview the exciting things in store for the decades ahead. Special thanks to our guests in this episode (in order of appearance): Dr. Mike Neufeld, Retired Curator and Smithsonian Historian Beatrice Mowry, Exhibits Design Chair, National Air and Space Museum Chris Browne, John and Adrienne Mars Director at the National Air and Space Museum Dr. Lonnie Bunch, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution Lisa Young, Supervisory Objects Conservator, National Air and Space Museum Dr. Tina Menendez, Director of the Bezos Learning Center at the National Air and Space Museum Find the transcript of this episode and more information at https://s.si.edu/50YearsE4. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter at https://s.si.edu/airspacenewsletter. AirSpace is made possible through the generous support of Lockheed Martin.
July 23 · 24 min
50 Years: New Ideas
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. Thanks to our guests in this episode: Dr. Ted Maxwell, Retired Chair of CEPS Dr. Mike Neufeld, Retired Curator and Smithsonian Historian Dr. Cathleen Lewis, Curator Dr. Tom Crouch, Curator Emeritus and Smithsonian Historian Find the transcript for this episode and more information at https://s.si.edu/50YearsEp3 Subscribe to our monthly newsletter at https://s.si.edu/airspacenewsletter. AirSpace is made possible with the generous support of Lockheed Martin.
July 9 · 29 min
50 Years: Origins
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 worked to help bring it into reality. Thanks to our guests in this episode: Dr. Mike Neufeld, Emeritus Curator and Smithsonian Historian Dr. Jieun Shin, Professor and Researcher, Sejong University Dr. Tom Crouch, Emeritus Curator Find the transcript for this episode and more information at https://s.si.edu/50YearsEp2. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter at https://s.si.edu/airspacenewsletter. AirSpace is made possible with the generous support of Lockheed Martin.
June 25 · 27 min
50 Years: Opening Day
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, and the Wright Flyer in the new building. Millions more have come through our doors over the last 50 years, and the Museum has continued to reinvent itself for future generations. Today on AirSpace, we’re launching our four-part limited series 50 Years of Air + Space with the story of our Museum’s Opening Day. Thanks to all our guests in this episode (by order of appearance): Dr. Bob van der Linden - Acting Chair of Aeronautics Dr. Ted Maxwell - Retired Chair of the Center for Earth and Planetary Studies Dr. Tom Crouch - Emeritus Curator Dr. Cathleen Lewis - Curator of International Space Programs and Spacesuits Dr. Michael Neufeld - Emeritus Curator and Smithsonian Historian Dr. Lonnie G Bunch III - Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution Find the transcript for this episode and more information at s.si.edu/50YearsE1. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter at s.si.edu/airspacenewsletter. AirSpace is made possible with the generous support of Lockheed Martin.
June 11 · 40 min
AirSpace Bonus! Sidedoor: The Wright Sister
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 the Wright sibling that history almost left out. Guests: Thomas Paone, curator at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Tom Crouch, curator emeritus of the aeronautics division at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum and author of The Bishop’s Boys: A Life of Wilbur and Orville Wright You can find the transcript of this episode and more information on our website.
May 28 · 26 min
AirSpace Revisited: How Do You Sleep?
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 for longer duration missions. But from noisy crewmates to spaceship sounds and even the sheer excitement of it all, sleeping in space hasn’t always been easy. To find out what it’s really like, we speak with former astronaut Mike Massimino who relates his shuttle sleeping experience to a big slumber party. We’re catching Zs in zero-G, today on AirSpace. Thanks to our guest in this episode: Mike Massimino, former astronaut Find the transcript for this episode and more information at https://s.si.edu/AirSpaceSleep. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter at s.si.edu/airspacenewsletter.
S11 · E12
May 14 · 27 min
Whirly-Girl #13
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-century helicopter history with the Museum’s curator of vertical flight, before diving into the story of the Whirly-Girls—from their founding and early years to the work the organization continues to do today. Thanks to our guest in this episode: Dr. Roger Connor, Curator of Vertical Flight, National Air and Space Museum Find the transcript for this episode and more information at s.si.edu/AirSpaceS11E12. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter at s.si.edu/airspacenewsletter. AirSpace is made possible with the generous support of Lockheed Martin.
S11 · E11
April 23 · 21 min
Snoopy in the Sky
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 our guests in this episode: Benjamin Clark, Curator at the Charles Schulz Museum Melissa Menta, SVP of Global Brands and Communications for Peanuts Worldwide Find the transcript for this episode and more information at s.si.edu/AirSpaceS11E11. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter at s.si.edu/airspacenewsletter. To learn even more about Snoopy in space, check out this article from Air & Space Quarterly. AirSpace is made possible with the generous support of Lockheed Martin.
April 9 · 27 min
GO, SPEED RACERS! The 1929 Women's Air Derby
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 exciting enough, rumors of sabotage swirl to this day... Today on AirSpace: Matt and Emily are joined by aeronautics curator Caroline Tapp to learn all about the Women's Air Derby of 1929. Listen to find out who won, what happened along the way, and how the derby changed the way people thought about women pilots. Thanks to our guests in this episode: Caroline Tapp, Aeronautics Curator, National Air and Space Museum Find the transcript for this episode and more information at s.si.edu/AirSpaceS11E10. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter at s.si.edu/airspacenewsletter. AirSpace is made possible with the generous support of Lockheed Martin.
S11 · E9
March 26 · 40 min
A Tale of Two Satellites
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 episode and more information at s.si.edu/airspaces11e9. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter at s.si.edu/airspacenewsletter. AirSpace is made possible with the generous support of Lockheed Martin.
March 12 · 25 min
Scandalous
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 political drama, a postal drama, AND an aviation drama. What more can you ask for? Thanks to our guest in this episode: Dr. Bob van der Linden, Curator for Commercial Aviation, National Air and Space Museum Find the transcript for this episode and more information at s.si.edu/airspaces11e8. To learn even more about the Air Mail Crisis, check out the Museum's website. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter at s.si.edu/airspacenewsletter. AirSpace is made possible with the generous support of Lockheed Martin.
S11 · E7
February 26 · 38 min
Kings of the Capsule
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 the details of this critical final stage in the Apollo missions, and what to expect when capsules full of Artemis astronauts start splashing down this decade. Thanks to our guests in this episode: Dr. Teasel Muir-Harmony, Apollo Curator- National Air and Space Museum John Wolfram, former Navy Frogman Clancy Hatleberg, former Navy Frogman Wes Chesser, former Navy Frogman Find the transcript for this episode and more information at s.si.edu/airspaces11e7. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter at s.si.edu/airspacenewsletter. AirSpace is made possible with the generous support of Lockheed Martin.
S11 · E6
February 12 · 31 min
Gone to the Dogs
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 products); and even an elite doggie duo chasing wildlife off the runway. Thanks to our guests in this episode: Pam Biard, Volunteer, CATS Program, Denver International Airport Chris Keyser, Wildlife Specialist, West Virginia International Yeager Airport Find the transcript for this episode and more information at s.si.edu/airspaces11e6. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter at s.si.edu/airspacenewsletter. AirSpace is made possible with the generous support of Lockheed Martin. AirSpace logo courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution. Episode photo courtesy of West Virginia International Yeager Airport (CRW).
S11 · E5
January 22 · 35 min
AirSpace Live! Cooking in Space
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 and eating in space. Thanks to our guests in this episode: Chef Charisse Grey, head of Research & Development, José Andrés Group Jim Sears, CEO and founder, SATED Space Margaret Weitekamp, curator and chair of Space History, Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Find the transcript for this episode and more information at s.si.edu/airspaces11e5. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter at s.si.edu/airspacenewsletter. AirSpace is made possible with the generous support of Lockheed Martin.
S11 · E4
January 8 · 23 min
Movie Mini: Arrival
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 s.si.edu/airspacenewsletter. AirSpace is made possible with the generous support of Lockheed Martin.

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