The Smithsonian Air and Space Museum is Home to Exhibits that are Out of This World

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    Nov 22, 2012
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The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum is located in Washington D.C. and nestled comfortably next to all the other museums in the Smithsonian Institution. The Air and Space Museum is one of the most famous museums in the world, mostly because it’s home to the largest collection of history making aircraft and spacecraft. Its exhibits are nationally and internationally recognized as historical monuments, worth seeing and preserving.

Before even entering the building, visitors to the Air and Space Museum are treated to the Ad Astra. This abstract piece of art is an exhibit in its own right, as it was created to symbolize the “conquest of space.” This beautiful piece of art is the first exhibit on a journey that is truly something to marvel about. It’s statuesque and glorious and truly sets the tone for the coming exhibits. 
The Smithsonian Air and Space Museum is home to the Apollo 11 Command Module. This famous spaceflight is the one that took both Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to the moon. These were the first men to walk on the moon, and their flight is the single most famous mission in the world. A trip to the museum renders the visitor in awe of this module, as it stands as a testament to the astronaut’s journey.

Space travel is widely covered in the museum’s exhibits. The Smithsonian Air and Space Museum is home to the Mercury Friendship 7 spacecraft. It’s also home to exhibits that invite the visitor on a journey, like the Discovery exhibit, which treats patrons to a live webcam of the Discovery hanger and photos and video of the Discovery’s famous flight over Washington D.C.

The museum honors those who first engaged flight, by offering exhibits of the first flights and planes. There is an entire exhibit dedicated to the famous Wright Brothers. This exhibit is called The Wright Brothers & The Invention of the Aerial Age. Clearly these men founded modern flight, and therefore deserve to be honored. This exhibit tells the story of the first successful airplane, with the actual airplane serving the main visual exhibit.

Other flight related exhibits include The Spirit of St. Louis and the Bell X-1, among many others. The Spirit of St. Louis is the famous custom built plane flown by Charles Lindbergh in 1927. Lindbergh flew Spirit from Long Island, NY to Paris, France. The trip took over 33 hours, and Charles flew entirely by himself. The Bell X-1 is the first plane to be fast and have greater fuel capacity. It was the very first plane to exceed the speed of sound.

When it comes to exhibits, the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum gives home to some of the most monumental and historical flight related exhibits known to the world. From the very first plane to pieces of the most famous spaceflight in the world, no one will walk away disappointed from the National Air and Space Museum. It gives home to national and international treasures you can’t see anywhere else.    

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