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FUTURE FLIGHT:
Astronomer and inventor Samuel Langley became the Smithsonian's third secretary in 1887. His steam-powered, unmanned aircraft, called the "aerodrome," set a record in 1896 by flying about a mile. Langley had a shed constructed in the yard next to the Arts + Industries Building to conduct his experiments. But his achievements were soon overshadowed by the Wright brothers, who achieved the first manned flight at Kitty Hawk in 1903.
The Langley aerodrome and the Wright flyer were later displayed inside the Arts + Industries Building, before finding a new home at the National Air and Space Museum (NASM). So was the Apollo 11 Lunar Lander. One of the mission's astronauts, Michael Collins, was NASM's first director. More recently, the museum's geologist John Grant planned the daily movements of the Mars Rovers Spirit and Opportunity. One of the most well-attended museums in the world, NASM continues to inspire young visitors to become pilots and astronauts, engineers and designers |