| A key part of the Smithsonian Institution that | | | | view of the Tycho Armillary Sphere reproduction is |
| student group travelers to Washington, D.C., will want | | | | on display in "Explore the Universe." The Sphere was |
| to take in, is the National Air and Space Museum on | | | | built by Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe in the late |
| the National Mall. With hundreds of original, historic | | | | 1500s to study the sky and to teach about the |
| artifacts on display, including the Wright 1903 Flyer; | | | | celestial coordinate system. A companion facility to |
| the Spirit of St. Louis; the Apollo 11 command module | | | | the Museum on the National Mall is the Steven F. |
| Columbia; and a Lunar rock sample that visitors can | | | | Udvar-Hazy Center near Washington Dulles |
| touch, the Museum will captivate students and | | | | International Airport, which provides additional exhibit |
| visitors for hours on end. There are some 22 | | | | space. The center, named in honor of its major |
| exhibition galleries in the Museum, including an IMAX | | | | donor, features the large Boeing Aviation Hangar in |
| theater, flight simulators, a three-level shop, and a | | | | which aircraft are displayed on three levels. Visitors |
| food-court-style restaurant. A favorite gallery, "How | | | | can walk among aircraft and small artifacts in display |
| Things Fly," includes science demonstrations; paper | | | | cases and view aircraft hanging from the arched |
| airplane contests; and interactive devices. Another | | | | ceiling on elevated skywalks. Many engines, |
| feature is the "Early Flight" gallery, which highlights | | | | helicopters, ultra-lights, and experimental flying |
| some of the earliest notions of flying through the | | | | machines are on display in a museum setting for the |
| first decade of powered flight. Visitors can also see | | | | first time. Among the aviation artifacts on display are |
| the original 1903 Wright Flyer and 170 other related | | | | the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, the fastest jet in the |
| artifacts in a special exhibition, "The Wright Brothers | | | | world; the Boeing Dash 80, the prototype of the |
| & The Invention of the Aerial Age."The Flyer will | | | | 707; the Boeing B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay; and |
| eventually be returned to its usual hanging position in | | | | the deHavilland Chipmunk aerobatic airplane. The |
| the Milestones of Flight gallery. The history of human | | | | James S. McDonnell Space Hangar opened in |
| space exploration is detailed in two exhibitions, one | | | | November 2004 and displays hundreds of famous |
| being "Space Race," which includes artifacts such as | | | | spacecraft, rockets, satellites and space-related small |
| the V2 ballistic missile, a full-size Hubble Space | | | | artifacts. The centerpiece of the space hangar is the |
| Telescope test vehicle, and the backup Skylab space | | | | Space Shuttle Enterprise. Other space artifacts |
| station that visitors can walk through. The story of | | | | include the Gemini VII space capsule; the Mobile |
| America's effort to land a human on the Moon is told | | | | Quarantine Unit used upon the return of the Apollo 11 |
| in "Apollo to the Moon," where the original space suits | | | | crew; and a Redstone rocket. The Donald D. Engen |
| worn by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the Moon | | | | Observation Tower provides an excellent location |
| are on display. The Museum on the National Mall also | | | | from which visitors can watch air traffic at Dulles |
| features several exhibitions covering Earth and | | | | Airport. The Center also offers an IMAX(R) Theater; |
| planetary studies. "Looking at Earth" shows visitors | | | | flight simulators; food service; a museum store; free |
| how views of the planet from above have helped | | | | docent tours; daily educational programs; and school |
| provide better understanding of the Earth. Examples | | | | group tours. A special feature of the Center is the |
| of satellite imagery and aerial photography are on | | | | National Aviation and Space Exploration Wall of |
| display. The "Exploring the Planets" exhibit highlights | | | | Honor, a permanent memorial to the thousands of |
| the history and achievements of planetary | | | | people who contributed to aviation and space |
| explorations, both Earth-based and by spacecraft. On | | | | exploration. |
| display is a full-scale replica of the Voyager | | | | Travel Adventures is a student tour provider staffed |
| spacecraft which traveled to the outer planets: | | | | by educators who understand the needs of teachers. |
| Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Another display, | | | | It has served over one half million students since |
| "Explore the Universe," demonstrates the various | | | | 1987 and its mission is to "empower teachers to |
| methods used by humankind to observe the skies | | | | create change by expanding the classroom to the |
| throughout the ages, starting with the naked eye, | | | | world. |
| through telescopes, and finally into the digital age. A | | | | |