Space and Air Museum

 

We spent all day yesterday at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.  It was awesome, if there wasn't so much else to see we would both go back and spend more time there.  The exhibits ranged from the theory of flight, through the history of flight up to and including images from the Rovers on Mars which were named Spirit and Opportunity. The exhibits were so well done that I was not overwhelmed with facts but constantly learning.

This is Wilbur Wright in the original plane, they have managed to keep approx. 80 % of the real plane! the material for the wings had rotted away so that is all new. Orville did not get to fly that day because he lost the flip of a coin. They were the first real media superstars of the century.  

This is one of the lunar modules that the astronauts practised one before going to the moon.  Where were you when the footage was on TV?

This is the mock up of the Sky Lab, if you look you can see a person walking inside so you can get a idea of the scale.  It was very narrow inside with an exercise space on one side and work space on the other. 

This is during the race to space and the Americans and Soviets came up with the idea to pretend to like each other and promote world peace and brotherhood and the two different vessels docked in space. 

This is what the Rover on Mars looks like and it has sent back some beautiful images. 

They even have full sized planes from WWII in the building.  Below is the German Messerschnitt

While the Allies answer was the British Spitfire. 

We went in to see the 3 D IMAX movie about D-day! it was very well done.  Then just as we were about to leave they announced that there was going to be a live Russian launch to the international space station.  There were 3 cosmonauts that went up including a woman, there has not been a Russian woman in space for quite some time. I took the following image from the very large screen it was projected on.  Such a great day.