Visit us in Washington, DC and Chantilly, VA to explore hundreds of the world’s most significant objects in aviation and space history.
During the Cold War, aviation took to new heights.
The lunar module represents one of humanity’s greatest achievements: landing people on another heavenly body.
Don’t miss our fast-paced webcasts designed to engage students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math in 30 minutes.
Experts answer your questions about aerospace.
Our scientists are involved in current research focused on the Martian climate and geology. Find out what we’re discovering.
Recognize your favorite air or space enthusiast. Add their name to the Museum’s Wall of Honor.
Artful Thinking in Air and Space Jobs Design Thinking Activity: Interior Design Challenge Activity: Sew a Space Glove
It takes more than astronauts to get to space! Join us to read The Spacesuit: How a seamstress helped put a man on the moon by Alison Donald and learn more about the extraordinary contributions of ordinary people that your never knew helped get astronauts to space. Every contribution is equally important even if it doesn’t get as much attention.
It takes more than astronauts to get to space! Join us to read The Spacesuit: How a seamstress helped put a man on the moon by Alison Donald and learn more about the extraordinary contributions of ordinary people that your never knew helped get astronauts to space. Every contribution is equally important even if it doesn’t get as much attention.
Our game features fun missions, activities and photo challenges for you and your friends and family to do together, featuring content and activities about all things air and space. Earn points with every activity you complete!
Sewing, pattern making, and choosing the right materials are skills used to create the thermal blankets that protect spacecraft from the extreme heat and cold of space. It's very similar to making a quilt!
A "Mini Quadrilateral Quilt" made by Tiny Apartment Crafts.
This picture shows a quilted thermal blanket from the Space Shuttle orbiter. It is made of many layers of material, alternating between plastic, mesh and a strong fabric, and sewn together with strong thread. These blankets are flexible and easy to install and replace.
If you look closely, you can see that the Space Shuttle Discovery is covered with thermal blankets. Can you find the shape of the thermal blanket from the first picture?
This is a model of New Horizons, the first spacecraft to visit Pluto and the Kuiper Belt in the outer solar system. The shiny orange material on the outside of the spacecraft is a different type of thermal blanket.
NASA technician Brenda Estavia is pictured here carefully sewing a piece of aluminum material onto a piece of Velcro. She works at the NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center where thermal blankets are custom made.
Think about it, talk about it: Are there different types of clothing materials that you use to stay warm or cool? Do you have a favorite blanket? How is it sewn together? Does it have more than one layer?
Everyone probably has some type of scale model in their homes, in the form of toy cars, animal figurines, rockets or LEGO models. Model making is a fun hobby that people enjoy. Along with being fun to play with and to make, models also play an important role in our museum and in the world of aerospace!
Scale models of aircraft help us see details close up, especially since these machines are very big! When you put one together, you learn more about how machines are put together, and you learn more about their features.
The National Air and Space Museum has more than 5,700 models of aircraft, balloons and other aerospace related items in our collection!
This is an example of one of the models our museum has in its collection.
This is a Wood, metal and plastic display model of the Naval Aircraft Factory PN-9 that attempted the first U.S.- Hawaii flight in 1925.
Small scale models and full scale models are created to test aircraft and spacecraft during the design process.
Pictured here is a full-scale test model of the Viking Mars Lander. This particular vehicle was used on Earth to simulate its behavior on Mars and test its responses to radio commands.
Think about it, talk about it: Do you have a scale model in your home? What can you learn about the object from it by looking at it very closely?
Jared Leidich, Suit Systems Lead Engineer for Alan Eustace, the record holder for the world's highest free fall skydive, credits music for playing a big role in his life. Watch this video as he explains how creating songs on the piano and the engineering design process are similar.
Listen to the music of Jared Leidich, Suit Systems Lead Engineer for Alan Eustace's world record skydive. Be sure to turn up the volume.
Think about it, talk about it: Is there something creative that you like to do that help you think through problems or challenges?
Go through steps of the Design Process to learn more about the job of an airplane interior designer, and create your own interior design of a passenger airplane!
Have you ever flown in an airplane? How did you feel?
If you haven't ever flown, have you seen the inside of an airplane? What did it look like?
Flying in an airplane can make people feel nervous, excited, or maybe even a little sick. There are airplane interior designers whose job it is to design a plane cabin in a way that comforts and calms airplane travelers, and keeps them safe!
The part where passengers ride in the airplane is called the cabin. This is the "room" that you'll be designing.
Here is what a passenger cabin currently looks like in an airplane that flies longer distances, like from the East Coast of the United States to the West Coast.
What do you think passengers need when they're flying in an airplane? Make a list on your Design Challenge Notes page. Take a look at the image to get some clues.
What are some constraints that you would have that limit your design?
The cabin look and design has changed throughout the years because who was flying in airplanes and why they were flying changed too! Scroll through this slideshow and look for answers to the following questions:
Write down in your Design Challenge Notes what you've discovered that might help with your design.
This airplane, the Douglas DC-7, was the first airliner to provide nonstop transcontinental service in both directions. It was introduced in November 1953, flying between New York and Los Angeles.
This image shows in airplane cabin of the Douglas DC-7. What do you notice about the seat placement and color choices?
Blue is often a color chosen in airplanes because it is calming.
This airplane, the Boeing 707, was America's first jet airliner, meaning it could travel farther, faster and use less fuel. Flights on the 707 began in the 1950s.
This image shows in inside of a Boeing 707 passenger cabin.
What differences do you notice between this cabin and the Douglas DC-7 cabin?
This airplane, the Boeing 747, is important in history because it made air travel more popular and affordable. It was introduced in the 1970s.
The 747 was the widest airliner since the Boeing 314 flying boat of the late 1930s.
What do you want to include in your design? What colors would you choose? How would you arrange the seats?
Make a list of ideas and jot them down!
Questions to help if you get stuck:
We'd love to see what your family created!
Snap a photo of your design and send it to NASM-FamilyPrograms@si.edu.
Before astronauts can wear their protective space suit, it must be sewn together similar to clothing you wear!
Space suits are made from many different layers of materials, at most 16 layers. The layers are made of different materials that are chosen based on the function they provide. These functions include reflecting light, protecting astronauts from micrometeorites, or creating a comfortable temperature environment within the space suit. Each layer is necessary for a safe and comfortable walk in space.
An astronaut glove is specially made to fit their hand. The body part that feels the coldest on a spacewalk is the fingertips. There are heaters in an astronaut’s glove to help keep the astronaut's hands warm while they perform their tasks, but allows them to move their fingers.
In this activity, sew together a glove of many layers to play with!
1. Using a pencil, trace around your hand onto the printer paper. Cut out hand tracing from paper.
2. Use the glue stick to glue the hand tracing to the mylar sheet.
3. Cut around the hand tracing.
4. Place the hand tracing onto the craft foam sheet.
5. Draw a mitten on the foam the goes around the hand tracing and cut the mitten out of the foam. Make two mittens.
1. Use the hole punch to punch holes around the hand tracing, make sure each finger tip is hole punched .
2. Place hand tracing on mittens and mark where the holes should go on the mittens.
3. Hole punch the mittens based on the marks.
4. Thread yarn into a hole near the wrist and knot the end.
5. Cover the other end of the yarn in tape to create an aglet.
6. Sew your glove by passing the yarn through the punched holes!