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.

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.

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.