Category Archives: On View at the Museum

A New Curiosity

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There is a strange looking car parked in the west end of the National Air and Space Museum in downtown Washington, DC. For now, it is only visible behind its security screen from the second floor landing above. From that vantage, the vehicle’s six wheels, robotic arm, mast, and other protrusions are clearly visible. But since this is the Air and Space Museum, it must be more than just a normal car.

Soon the barriers will be gone and the public will be able to view the vehicle up close and personal. And what they will see is a model of the next Mars rover, NASA’s 2011 Mars Science Laboratory. The rover, dubbed “Curiosity” will be launched to Mars later this year and will begin its mission to explore whether places on the Red Planet were ever habitable. Information on the mission can be found at: http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/. The rover carries a suite of instruments geared towards understanding conditions on the planet and a full description of the payload can be found at: http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/mission/instruments/.

NASA Mars Rover Curiosity at JPL, Side View. The rover for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory mission, named Curiosity, is about 3 meters (10 feet) long, not counting the additional length that the rover's arm can be extended forward. The front of the rover is on the left in this side view. The arm is partially raised but not extended. Rising from the rover deck just behind the front wheels is the remote sensing mast. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

The landing site for Curiosity will be one of four final candidate sites all deemed to possess a variety of features suited to evaluating whether Mars could have been habitable in the past. It is expected that NASA will announce the landing site in the coming weeks. Much more information on the landing sites proposed for Curiosity can be found at: http://marsoweb.nas.nasa.gov/landingsites/index.html.

The model of Curiosity will be on display through Labor Day of this year.

See the model of Curiosity and learn more about its mission at this year’s Mars Day! on July 22.

John Grant is a geologist in the Museum’s Center for Earth and Planetary Studies and co-chair of the Mars Landing site steering committee leading the MSL landing site selection process.

The Intern Perspective

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When I went in for my interview at the National Air and Space Museum, I learned that I would be helping plan a family day. Not just any family day – this was a one-time event celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Union Balloon Corps.

The Union, what?

Staff wanted to inflate a massive balloon on the National Mall, invite Civil War reenactors to set up camp, offer hands-on activities inside the Museum, and partner with other museums and historic sites to make this program happen.

I felt energized by their vision and wanted to be part of this project. I had never heard of the Union Balloon Corps and wanted to learn about this seemingly incongruous cross-section of content areas.

I left the interview and decided that there were three reasons (in no particular order) I wanted this internship:

1. To learn

I wanted to learn about the Union Balloon Corps: The last time I studied Civil War history was in high school. Since then I’ve visited Gettysburg battlefield, other Civil War-related museums and sites, and read random news articles about the topic.

This aspect of the Civil War was new and intriguing. I dove into books, websites, blogs and forums. Who was this guy Thaddeus Lowe who founded the Balloon Corps? How did the balloons NOT get shot down?

I kept reading and researching until I formed a baseline knowledge of the subject – I’m no Tom Crouch (senior curator in the Museum’s Aeronautics Division) to be sure, but I felt I had enough information under my belt to start planning.

2. To be challenged

This event was going to be a challenge. Not only was the content new to me, I had never participated in an event that serves up to, potentially, 30,000 people. How do I create a fun, educational and meaningful experience for so many people?

I embraced this challenge as I watched the family day department plan other amazing events that impacted thousands of people at a time.

I even had a chance to pilot a binocular making activity that pays homage to Thaddeus Lowe’s binoculars we have in our collection.

 

Emily Koteki

Kids make binoculars at a craft table at the National Mall building.

3. To be better able to plan dynamic, innovative family days

I observed quickly that family days at the Museum went beyond telescopes and solar systems. They included African storytellers, Nepalese dancers, the Chromatics, kite makers and many other unique connections between the arts and space.

After observing and being part of these events, I learned about taking risks and really being creative in programming and partnerships.

I’ve tried to apply these lessons as I planned this upcoming family day. We hope to see you there!

View the full schedule of events.

Emily Kotecki is a family day programs intern at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, and a graduate student at George Washington University studying Museum Education. She is helping to plan this event and can’t wait to see it come to fruition.

 

 

 

In the Good Old Summertime!

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The Visitor Services Division at the National Air and Space Museum is shaking off the winter doldrums and preparing for another exciting summer season. The National Air and Space Museum consists of two museum locations, the National Mall building in Washington, DC and the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Dulles Airport in Chantilly, VA. The National Mall building is the most visited museum in the world with over 8 million visits a year. That averages out to almost 23,000 every day! The Udvar-Hazy Center sees over one million visits every year. If you are planning on visiting one of our Museums this summer, here are some tips for an enjoyable and safe experience.

The Cherry Blossom Festival is usually the busiest time of the year. Washington, DC could see a million visitors during the week of peak bloom. Our summer season starts with the cherry blossoms and ends after Labor Day weekend. Holiday weekends, like July 4th and Memorial Day, are usually busier as well.

National Mall Building

The National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC

A rule of thumb is ‘the earlier the better.’ As the day progresses, the number of visitors in the Museum will increase, so try to arrive right when we open at 10 am or during the ‘lunch break’ between 12 pm and 1 pm. The National Mall building will be open until 7:30 from March 25th through September 4th and the Udvar-Hazy Center will be open until 6:30 from May 27th through September 4th; however, we will occasionally close at 5:30 for special events. Please double-check our website to see if we are going to close early on the day you plan to visit.

Milestones of Flight Gallery

"Milestones of Flight" Gallery at the National Mall building.

Entrance to the Museum is free and no tickets are required. The entrances have security checks where all visitors are screened and bags are inspected. Do not bring tripods, scissors, tools and especially knives. Even pocket knives or Swiss army knives are prohibited.

If you need help while you are at the Museum, head over to the Welcome Desk, which is near the entrances to both locations. Volunteers are ready to answer your questions and give you tips for your visit. You can buy the $2 Go Smithsonian Visitor Guide, which has descriptions and maps of each Smithsonian building, or we can give you a simple free map of our Museum. Maps can also be found on our website.

Welcome Center

Welcome Center at the National Mall building

We recommend comfortable shoes for both locations.DC is a walking city and if you come to the National Mall, you should expect to be on your feet all day. The Udvar-Hazy Center is also very large (approximately the size of three football fields) and has a concrete floor.

Sandals, flip-flops, flats and Crocs are not the best for walking. We talk to visitors every day that have broken sandals, sore feet and blisters. Try to bring band-aids; you or someone you’re with may need them.  Remember to dress and pack appropriately. DC can be cool, especially in rainy weather, so check the weather forecasts right before you leave. But, DC can also get very hot, so bring plenty of water. Outside food cannot be eaten inside Smithsonian museums, but water bottles are welcome. Staying hydrated will help you get through the day.

Visiting multiple Smithsonian museums in one day can be difficult. Forgetting to eat lunch or waiting until late afternoon to eat can easily happen. Most museums have food courts inside. It could be easier to eat in a museum as there are very few restaurants around the National Mall.

The DC Metro system has several stations around the National Mall area. L’Enfant Plaza is the closest station to the National Mall building. L’Enfant is on the corner of 7th and Maryland St. SW and the museum is on 7th and Independence St. SW, only two blocks away! Use the Smithsonian Metro station to go to the National Museum of American History and the National Museum of Natural History. The Smithsonian Metro station is six blocks away from the National Air and Space Museum.

The Udvar-Hazy Center is 30 miles away from downtown DC. Visiting both locations in the same day is difficult. Traffic can be very heavy during rush hour and can lengthen your travel time significantly. Public transportation to the Udvar-Hazy Center is available, but depending on your point of departure, you may need to use a combination of public transportation options to reach the facility. Please consult MetroBus and the Virginia Regional Transit for the best routes, schedules and fares. If you are driving, the Museum has a large parking lot; however, there is a $15 parking fee for all personal vehicles. Buses park for free.

Udvar-Hazy Center

Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center

We are looking forward to seeing you at the National Air and Space Museum and the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. If you need additional information that our website does not provide, you can email us at NASMVisitorServices@si.edu. Have a safe and enjoyable summer and we’ll see you soon!

Josh Chartier is a coordinator in the Visitor Services Division of the National Air and Space Museum.

Asking the Experts

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How did you get an airplane inside the building?  Is there life on other planets?  What EXACTLY is GPS and how does it work?  Why in the world is that in this museum?

We hear these questions every day.  There’s so much that goes on in museums that people just don’t understand.  And there are a lot of interesting artifacts tucked into smaller galleries that visitors simply don’t notice.  Then there are the GREAT stories behind every artifact – stories that just don’t fit on a label.  For instance, have you ever wondered how we acquired Gene Kranz’s famous “Failure is NOT an option” white vest?  Did you know that Wilbur Wright, while playing with a cardboard box, figured out an essential component for controlling an aircraft?  How about what really happened at Roswell, NM?  Or about the time Howard Hughes….

Gene Kranz

Photo: Gene Kranz in his white vest. Photo courtesy NASA. The photo links to the full "Ask an Expert" lecture, given by curator Margaret Weitekamp, which tells the story behind Gene Kranz's vests and how the Museum acquired this white vest that he wore during the Apollo 13 mission.

Before I started working at the National Air and Space Museum I hadn’t heard these stories either. There are so many of them, and since I work in the Museum I get to hear them from our curators, conservators, scientists, and archivists all the time.  What’s that?  You’d like to hear them as well?  Guess what?  You can.  Every Wednesday at noon we dust off one of the curators, conservators, scientists, or archivists and send one onto the museum floor during lunch to tell these stories.  Each Ask an Expert talk runs about 15 minutes and then they take time to answer your questions.  If you can’t make it, we record many of the talks and post them on our website.  However, if you’ve got time during lunch and you’d like to join us, check out our calendar for a list of upcoming talks.  I learn something new at every lecture, and I’ve been listening to our experts for years!

Beth Wilson is the Discovery Station Program Coordinator for the Mall Building.


Try Out our New Online Activities

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If you’re looking for some online fun, try out several Web activities from our newest exhibition, The Barron Hilton Pioneers of Flight Gallery.

The exhibition introduces some of the colorful aviation personalities from the 1920s and 1930s.

Tingmissartoq Interactive

"Tingmissartoq" Interactive

  • Help Charles and Anne Lindbergh pack for a trip across several continents in their airplane the Tingmissartoq.  The plane can only carry 6,105 pounds, so you must choose supplies carefully.  You need to anticipate possible emergency scenarios like landing on the icecap of Greenland or landing in the middle of the ocean.  You will be going from cold, icy climates to tropical climates and will be visiting remote Eskimo villages and fancy diplomatic receptions.  You can compare your decisions with what the Lindberghs really packed.
douglas world cruiser interactive

Douglas "World Cruiser" Interactive

  • Plan a flight around the world for the U.S. Army – it’s 1924 and no one has flown around the world before.  First, you must figure out the logistics – which countries will welcome you and where will you be able to refuel?  Your planes can only fly so many miles before needing to refuel. Next you must adapt the airplane for the trip. Your Douglas DT-2 torpedo bomber needs to meet the demands of your journey.  Finally, while you may have tried to plan for the unexpected, you encounter the unexpected anyway.  Face six crises that the real World Cruiser crews encountered – will you make the same decisions they made?
design an air racer interactive

Design an Air Racer Interactive

  • Design an air racer.  You are entering the air races and want to win!  Design a racer that will be the fastest sea plane and will help you win the prestigious Schneider trophy.  Or, design a land plane and win the Pulitzer trophy. Will you make risky decisions and try some of the latest technology or will you play it safe?
Tuskegee Airmen Interactive

Tuskegee Airmen Interactive

  • Fly a bomber escort mission as flight leader of the 332nd Fighter Group in Italy.  World War II is raging and the Tuskegee Airmen are gaining a reputation as top-notch aviators.  As an all African-American group, they must constantly prove their skills.  The American military is segregated and the group’s reputation lies on the decisions of each of its members.  Wrong decisions could cost lives and equipment, and damage the reputation.  Will you make the right decisions and prove that you have the skills required to fly with the best?

A lot of effort and careful research went into each one of these activities.  We first generated a list of possible ideas. We narrowed the list by asking which ideas make the best use of the technology to teach specific content.  We hired a Web developer to help us.   The interactives need to be thoughtfully integrated into the surrounding exhibition content.  After we decided on the scenarios, we did some additional research.  We had to track down photos of the World Cruiser flight and film footage of the Lindberghs.  Our photographer took photos of objects in the collections – we wanted to display some of the interesting items that the Lindberghs packed on their trip.  These objects had not been on display before.  In some cases we also consulted with outside experts, including some of the Tuskegee Airmen themselves! What were the main decisions made by flight leaders on escort missions?  What happened when things didn’t go well?

Once our designer had a prototype activity, we took it onto the floor and asked our visitors to test it.  Some of the interactives, the Lindbergh one for example, went through major design changes.  We wanted to ensure that people find them engaging and easy to complete.  Do they take the right amount of time or are they too complicated?  Will they attract the right age groups?  We also tested the activities with some of our toughest critics, our National Air and Space Museum colleagues.  They all had an opportunity to weigh in on the activities.  When we completed usability testing and made sure visitors were getting the messages we wanted to convey, we went into final production.

So give them a try and let us know what you think.  Which did you like the best?  Did you learn anything new? And, if you have a chance to visit the Museum, please be sure to view the Barron Hilton Pioneers of Flight Gallery.

Tim Grove is Chief of Education at the National Air and Space Museum’s Mall building.