The National Museum of Natural History and National Air and Space Museum on the National Mall will be open today, Tuesday, February 9.
All other Smithsonian Museums, including the Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA, remain closed on Tuesday, February 9.
Some events may be canceled. Call 202-633-2214 for information.
The National Air and Space Museum
is working on a new exhibition
about human spaceflight.
First Stage Now Open
Moving Beyond Earth is an immersive exhibition that places visitors “in orbit” in the shuttle and space-station era to explore recent human spaceflight and future possibilities. An expansive view of the Earth as viewed from the space station drifts over one gallery wall, while a fly-around tour of the International Space Station fills another wall. A presentation stage for live events, broadcasts and webcasts at the center of the gallery serves as the platform for SpaceFlight Academy, a group quiz game where visitors can test their space smarts and become “flight ready.”
Signature artifacts reflect the exhibition’s themes: a 12-foot-tall space shuttle model and other launch-vehicle models represent the quest for routine access to space; astronaut gear, spacesuit gloves, and parts of the Hubble Space Telescope convey the challenges of living and working in space; the suit worn by space tourist Dennis Tito and a model Ares launch vehicle suggest future prospects for commercial spaceflight and heading to the moon.
This fly around of the International Space Station is displayed in the Moving Beyond Earth exhibition as a 30ft x 18ft projection. Video courtesy of NASA's VR Lab.
Museum visitors can also experience aspects of spaceflight through interactive computer kiosks: serving as mission control’s flight director to keep a shuttle mission on track, equipping a new module for the space station, manipulating and assembling space station elements, and matching visitors’ interests to jobs in the spaceflight work force. The historic artifacts and decision-making electronics are engaging opportunities for visitors to explore the achievements and challenges of human spaceflight.
