AirSpace

AirSpacers are watchers of movies, but we are also readers of books. In our inaugural Book Club we're reading The Milky Way: An Autobiography of Our Galaxy by Dr. Moiya McTier. This book is a non-fiction romp through the Milky Way's life (and future death) told from its perspective. How does the Milky Way feel about consuming other galaxies? Does watching us humans get boring? Can a galaxy be self-conscious about its black hole? Dr. Moiya explores these questions and more with personality, or should we say galaxality? Read along with the AirSpace book club.Thanks to our Guest in this episode:Dr. Moiya McTier, AuthorFind the transcript at s.si.edu/airspaces10e12AirSpace is created by the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum with generous support from Lockheed Martin.

If you've been to visit us on the National Mall in the last several years you may have noticed that we've been under construction. Which is very exciting! But even more exciting is some of that construction is done! On July 28, we're welcoming visitors into five brand new galleries. But you, lovely AirSpace listener, get a little bit of a sneak peek. A behind the scenes look at Futures in Space, one of the new galleries with two of its curators — including AirSpace host Matt Shindell. Thanks to our Guest in this episode:Dr. Emily Margolis, Curator- National Air and Space MuseumFind the transcript at s.si.edu/airspaces10e11 AirSpace is created by the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum with generous support from Lockheed Martin.

Pancho Barnes was larger than life. Born at the turn of the century, she spent the next 75 years defying every societal norm she found stuffy, boring or just plain stupid. She rode horses and then flew planes in the movies. She raced airplanes and briefly held the women's airspeed record. She owned a notorious inn/restaurant/club/hotel/airport in the desert near what would become Edwards Air Force Base. The Happy Bottom Riding Club was populated by Pancho, her personality and famous people from Roy Rogers to Chuck Yeager. We're exploring all the excitement that was the life of Pancho Barnes.Thanks to our guest in this episode:Lauren Kessler- Author, The Happy Bottom Riding Club: The Life and Times of Pancho BarnesFind the transcript at here. AirSpace is created by the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum with generous support from Lockheed Martin.

If you were curating a mixtape that might be heard by aliens billions of years from now, but definitely would be seen by your fellow Earthlings, what would you put on it? In 1977, two Voyager spacecraft launched from Cape Canaveral on a journey that would take them out to our outer solar system and beyond. Affixed to the side of these two planetary explorers was the Voyager Golden Record. This ultimate mixtape of humanity contained 27 pieces of music and also pictures, greetings in many languages, and the sounds of Earth. Nearly 50 years later, we're exploring what's on the record, how it got made, and its legacy with one of it's makers. Oh! and we brought in our friends from Sidedoor to help :)Thanks to our guests in this episode: Ann Druyan - Voyager Golden Record Creative Director Lawrence Azerrad - Co-founder of Macroscopic Find the transcript here.AirSpace is created by the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum with generous support from Lockheed Martin.

Bats are the only mammals that truly fly. And the way they do it is very different from other flying things. The way they fly has only recently been understood and there are still questions. Scientist and engineers are trying to use what they do know to create bat-inspired flying machines, but things like bats self-cambering stretching wings skin, skeleton muscles and tiny hair sensors are proving difficult to replicate. Thanks to our guests in this episode: Dr. Sharon Swartz-Brown University Dr. Nancy Simmons-American Museum of Natural History  Find the transcript here.AirSpace is created by the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum with generous support from Lockheed Martin.

There are a lot of different aircraft that fight wildfires, from Host Matt's favorite Sky Crane helicopter to giant cargo jets that dump tons of fire retardant. But today we're taking about a truly unique, purpose-built firefighting airplane: the Super Scooper. This plane skims the surface of a body of water, collects a shocking amount through tiny scoop ports, flies off, and dumps it on a wildfire. We talk to a pilot about what it's like to fly one.Thanks to our guest in this episode:Scott Blue, Pilot, Bridger AerospaceFind the transcript here.AirSpace is created by the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum with generous support from Lockheed Martin.

If you haven't listened already, go back and check out Part One. When you hear 'space race' you probably (correctly) think about the 1960s Soviet Union v. U.S. race to put an astronaut on the Moon. But a few hundred years before, the space race was all about Venus. About twice every century we here on Earth get to see Venus pass in the front of the Sun. Back the 18th and 19th centuries, this was a Big Deal. At the time, all astronomers wanted to be the first to use the transit of Venus to figure out the distance between the Earth and the Sun. In Part Two we're bringing you more adventures to observe the transit and talking about what the result (or lack of results) meant for astronomy.Thanks to our guests in this episode: Ted Rafferty, formerly of the United States Naval Observatory Dr. Samantha Thompson, Astronomy Curator - National Air and Space Museum Find the transcript here.AirSpace is created by the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum with generous support from Lockheed Martin.

When you hear 'space race' you probably (correctly) think about the 1960s Soviet Union v. U.S. race to put an astronaut on the Moon. But a few hundred years before, the space race was all about Venus. Twice every century or so we here on Earth get to see Venus pass in front of the Sun (with proper eye protection. Don't stare at the Sun, kids.) Back in the 18th and 19th centuries, this was a Big Deal. At the time, all astronomers wanted to be part of the effort to use the transit of Venus to figure out the distance between the Earth and the Sun. And to claim that astronomical victory for their respective empire. In Part One we're talking about the astronomical breakthroughs that made scientists and adventurers flock to the 1761 transit. Thanks to our guests in this episode:  Ted Rafferty, formerly of the United States Naval Observatory Dr. Samantha Thompson, Astronomy Curator-National Air and Space Museum Find the transcript here.Sign up here for the monthly AirSpace newsletterAirSpace is created by the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum with generous support from Lockheed Martin.

The oldest Earth rocks we have are 4.3 billion years old, and samples we've brought back from the Moon are even older. But what does that have to do with craters on Mars? When the Apollo missions brought back samples, those rocks let us confirm the age of parts of our lunar bestie for the first time. Now, scientific models use data from those samples to extrapolate the age of other geologic events in our Solar System. Thanks to our guest in this episode: Dr. Beau Bierhaus, Senior Research Scientist - Lockheed Martin*Sign up here for the monthly AirSpace newsletterFind the transcript here.Take our listener survey at s.si.edu/airspace2025Find the transcript here.AirSpace is created by the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum with generous support from Lockheed Martin*AirSpace is editorially independent from its sponsors

Right now there are seven women on Mars... kind of. The women of Hypatia Mars started out as a small group of friends from Catalonia who wanted to work together tp advance space science and women in STEM. Today they're on their second analog mission at the Mars Desert Research Station in Utah, testing systems and equipment, doing multidisciplinary research, and continuously working to reach out to girls and young women about what their careers are like.Thanks to our guests in this episode:  Carla Conejo Gonzalez, Co-Founder of Hypatia Mars  Dr. Ariadna Ferrés, Commander of Hypatia II  Dr. Estel Blay, Scientist Hypatia II Sign up here for the monthly AirSpace newsletterTake our listener survey at s.si.edu/airspace2025Find the transcript here.AirSpace is created by the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum with generous support from Lockheed Martin

We want to hear from you! Fill out our listener survey at s.si.edu/airspace2025All the military aircraft and some of the civilian ones in our collections have to be demilitarized before they go on display or into storage. This process, usually called demilling, means taking anything out that might leak, corrode, explode or give away military secrets.Thanks to our guest in this episode:Dr. Mike Hankins, Curator of Modern Military Aviation-National Air and Space MuseumFind the transcript here.Sign up here for the monthly AirSpace newsletterAirSpace is created by the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum with generous support from Lockheed Martin.

We want to hear from you! Fill out our listener survey at s.si.edu/airspace2025Our museum collection, like a lot of other museums' collections, can be a working collection. That means that scientist come to do air or space research using objects in the museum. Sometimes it's as simple as an engineer coming after hours to look a little closer at a plane or spacecraft so they can better understand how it works. And other times researchers leave seismometers on the Viking Lander for several weeks. Thanks to our guests in this episode:  Dr. Malcolm Collum, Head Conservator-National Air and Space Museum  Dr. Ben Fernando, Post-Doctoral Researcher-Johns Hopkins University  Dr. Kevin Lewis, Vice Chair and Professor in Earth and Planetary Science-Johns Hopkins University  Dr. Andy Lazarewicz, Formerly of the Viking Seismology Team Additional thanks to Lisa Young and Becca Hiatt of the National Air and Space Museum's Collections Processing UnitFind the transcript hereSign up here for the monthly AirSpace newsletterAirSpace is created by the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum with generous support from Lockheed Martin

Hey Y'all! Since we've made it to season 10 (!!!) we thought we'd take the opportunity to re-introduce ourselves. In this episode you can hear a little more about Hosts Matt and Emily as well as a little bit about the rest of the team behind your favorite pod (we hope).We reference a lot of past episodes, here's some links for your listening pleasure:AirSpace, Live at South by SouthwestRock on the Moon (Matt interviews Ian Anderson)Smoke from a Distant Fire (Matt gets to meet wildfire fighting pilots)My Mom the Rocket Scientist (We get to talk to Jack Black)Voyages to Mars QueerSpaceAeroEspacialSay My Name (Amy's fav, for all the Greek Mythology Girlies)Satellite Hart (Erika's fav #1)Birds of a Feather (Erika's fav #2)Fly Girl (Jen's fav history episode, about the WASPs)Sign up here for the monthly AirSpace newsletter

Have you ever wondered how astronauts on the ISS or elsewhere in space vote? It turns out there's a whole Texas law about it. We'll tell you exactly how to cast a ballot from 250 miles up in orbit on AirSpace.Thanks to our guest in this episode:Katherine Schaur - NASA Near Space NetworkFind the transcript here.Sign up here for the monthly AirSpace newsletter

I don't think we're in Kansas anymore! There are so many things that fly in Oz, from broomsticks to monkeys to bubbles. With the Wicked movie coming out this November, we thought we'd look back on all things flight in the land of Oz and tell you all about how those effects were made for the screen and the stage. Thanks to our guest in this episode:Ryan Lintelman - Entertainment Curator, Smithsonian National Museum of American HistoryFind the transcript here.Sign up here for the monthly AirSpace newsletter

During WWII one plane survived more missions than any other in Europe. Named 'Flak-Bait,' this medium bomber was saved from the scrap heap after the war and immediately donated to the Smithsonian. However, public display and outdated restoration techniques have taken a toll on the plane. We're taking you inside our restoration hanger to learn all about how the Museum's conservators are reversing damage and conserving Flak-Bait so visitors can learn about her contributions for many years to come.Thanks to our guests in this episode: Lauren Horelick - Object Conservator, National Air and Space Museum. Head conservator working on Flak-Bait  Dr. Jeremy Kinney - Associate Director of Research, Collections, and Curatorial Affairs, National Air and Space Museum. Curator in charge of Flak-Bait Find the transcript here.Sign up here for the monthly AirSpace newsletter

What if there are intelligent lifeforms elsewhere in the universe? And what if all we need to do to find them is to listen to the right radio frequency at the right time? That's what the scientists of SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) have been working on for decades. And that research got the Hollywood Glow-Up back in 1997 with Contact, starring Jodie Foster as SETI researcher Dr. Ellie Arroway. Because if we were alone in the Universe, wouldn't that be such a waste of space?Find the transcript here.Sign up here for the monthly AirSpace newsletter

It's a bird? It's a plane? Its a guy pretending to be a bird?? We have a very odd aircraft in the collection. It's an ultralight. Small, highly maneuverable and based off the wings hang gliders use to jump off mountains, this particular ultralight was used to help birds migrate. And it starred in the movie in the '90s! When we heard that we were like, say more please. Thanks to our guest in this episode:Russ Lee - curator and chair of the Aeronautic Department, National Air and Space MuseumFind the transcript hereSign up here for the monthly AirSpace newsletter

Back in the 'Golden Age' of air travel in the 50s, 60s and 70s going on a trip in an airplane was an event. On those flights you would often get a little souvenir of your air travel; a deck of cards, a little toy, a trading card, captain's wings and a hat for your little tyke. It was a way for you to show off to your friends and for the airline to keep themselves top of mind for your next airline purchase. Like a lot of things from the era, deregulation came along in 1978 and completely changed the flight experience. Now that an airline can offer you a cheap ticket, they're not trying to get your business through tchotchkes. But! There are still some airlines giving out swag. Some of it you have to pony up for first class and some of it you have to ask for. We asked for it (because the AirSpace budget sadly doesn't include first class tickets).Thanks to our guest in this episode:Bob Van der Linden — Curator of Air Transportation, National Air and Space MuseumFind the transcript hereSign up here for the monthly AirSpace newsletter

Over six missions, the Apollo astronauts collected and brought back 842 pounds of Lunar samples. Most of those Moon rocks were put aside for science, but some were earmarked for things like touch rocks (like we have at NASM) or educational disks (which you might have seen if you had a particularly cool science teacher growing up) and to countries and states as diplomatic gifts. But who decides what rocks go where? And how in the heck did the National Cathedral get a rock to put in a stained glass window??Thanks to our guests in this episode: Dr. Ryan Zeigler-Lunar Sample Curator, NASA Johnson Space Center Dr. Cari Corrigan- Curator of Antarctic Meteorites, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History Elody Crimi - Photo Curator, Washington National Cathedral Archives  Find the transcript hereSign up here for the monthly AirSpace newsletter