So its been a little while since we actually visited the Air and Space Museum but I finally got around to blogging about it…
So the museum was created in 1946 through legislation as the National Air Museum. The museum opened in the Arts and Industries building over by the Castle. However the collection was so massive it could not be held in 1 building alone. It only grew as its mission expanded to include the Space Race as well. Finally in 1976, the building opened on the mall although even it does not have near enough room to include the entire collection. Some of the major highlights in the museum include the Wright Flyer, the Spirit of St Louis, a V2 rocket, Friendship 7 (Senator Glenn's orbiter), the Apollo 11 capsule, and a large collection of World War I and II era aircraft.
So we got to touch a moon rock, and explore the museum a lot. It was really neat getting to see the actual Wright Flyer as I saw the copy that they have in Kitty Hawk. Also apparently Lindsey "I Sank the Titanic" Titus apparently grew up near the Wright brother's home in Dayton.
-Sean F, Lindsey T, Meredith, and Haley
So I've been noticing that young people start every new thought with the word "so."
ReplyDeleteSo, what is the origin of this? Seriously, does anybody know?
Silicon Valley? http://anand.ly/articles/so-pushes-to-the-head-of-the-line
ReplyDelete"'So' is impatient."
ReplyDeleteI think this sums up about 90% of the conversations we have with each other. We all have lots of important things to say, so we have to make sure they're heard with the attention that they deserve. (haha)
I would also like to point out some observations I had about the Air and Space Museum:
1) Senator Glenn is very brave for spending that much time in such a tiny space (much less in space). Seeing the real Friendship 7 and imagining the mission that he went on just deepens my respect for him.
2) I always knew the Wright Brothers were from Dayton, but I never realized the full impact that the town had on their entire career. Major events took place there and the course of history was changed by two brothers who loved their hometown. Hearing Lindsey's first person account of the neighborhood where they grew up and the area in which they made their epic discoveries was especially neat.
3) The Air and Space Gift Shop was especially interesting. You can eat freeze-dried ice cream while you hang out in your very own astronaut suit!
So that's my account of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.
- Haley
Thanks, Haley. The remarkable thing about Friendship 7 is that the astronauts had to practically go on strike to insist that the engineers design a window for it.
ReplyDelete