A wonderful opportunity for students to learn about the history of air and space travel exists in Washington, D.C. During your next group visit schedule a tour of the National Air and Space Museum on the National Mall and the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Washington Dulles International Airport. Both facilities have unique exhibits that will captivate students and provide excellent reinforcement of classroom instruction in Astronomy, Air and Space.
The National Air and Space Museum:
The National Air and Space Museum is part of the Smithsonian Institute and includes hundreds of original, historic artifacts such as the Wright Brothers1903 Flyer, the Spirit of St. Louis, the Apollo 11 Command Module Columbia, and a lunar rock sample. There are 22 exhibition galleries in the museum as well as an IMAX theater, several flight simulators, a three-level gift shop, and a food-court-style restaurant.
Galleries & Exhibits:
Once inside the museum, students often flock to see "How Things Fly." This interactive exhibit features science demonstrations; paper airplane contests; and other interactive devices.
Another student highlight is the "Early Flight" gallery with some of the earliest notions about air travel through the first decade of powered flight. A special extension of this gallery has been opened to highlight accomplishments of the Wright Brothers. "The Wright Brothers and the Invention of the Aerial Age." includes the original 1903 Wright Flyer and 170 other related artifacts.
The history of human space exploration is detailed in two exhibits: "Space Race," and "Apollo to the Moon." The first gallery contains artifacts such as the V2 ballistic missile, a full-size Hubble Space Telescope test vehicle, and the backup Skylab Space Station that visitors can walk through. The second gallery details the story of America's effort to land a human on the Moon. Visitors see the original space suits worn by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin and examine their space capsule.
The museum also features several exhibitions covering Earth and Planetary Studies:
"Looking at Earth" contains views of the Earth from outer space via satellite imagery and aerial photography. The "Exploring the Planets" exhibit highlights the history and achievements of planetary explorations, both Earth-based and by spacecraft. On display is a full-scale replica of the Voyager spacecraft which traveled to Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
Another display, "Explore the Universe," demonstrates the various methods used by humankind to observe the skies throughout the ages, beginning with the naked eye, through telescope era, and into the digital age.
A view of the Tycho Armillary Sphere reproduction is on display in "Explore the Universe." The Sphere was built by Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe in the late 1500s to study the sky and to teach about the celestial coordinate system.
The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center:
The most popular attraction of the center is the Boeing Aviation Hangar where aircraft are displayed on three levels. Visitors can walk among aircraft and small artifacts and view aircraft hanging from the arched ceiling on elevated skywalks. A variety of engines, helicopters, ultra-lights, and experimental flying machines are available for public viewing for the first time. Included in this display are the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, the fastest jet in the world; the Boeing Dash 80, the prototype of the 707; the Boeing B-29 Super Fortress Enola Gay; and the deHavilland Chipmunk aerobatic airplane.
The James S. McDonnell Space Hangar was opened in November 2004 and includes hundreds of famous spacecraft, rockets, satellites and space-related small artifacts. The centerpiece of the space hangar is the Space Shuttle Enterprise. Other space artifacts include the Gemini VII space capsule; the Mobile Quarantine Unit used upon the return of the Apollo 11 crew; and a Redstone rocket.
The center also offers an IMAX® Theater; flight simulators; food service; a museum store; free docent tours; daily educational programs; and school group tours. A special feature of the Center is the National Aviation and Space Exploration Wall of Honor, a permanent memorial to the thousands of people who contributed to aviation and space exploration.
A visit to the center would not be complete without a stop at the Donald D. Engen Observation Tower to view the continuous air traffic at nearby Dulles International Airport.
It is highly recommended that student trip sponsors take advantage of these two educational opportunities during their next student visit to our nation’s capital. There is no better collection of artifacts focused on Astronomy and air and space travel than the National Air and Space Museum and the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center.