Smithsonian National Air And Space Museum Reopens 5 Renovated Galleries Starring SpaceX Rocket Parts, A 3D-Printed Mars Habitat And More

The museum's flagship building on the National Mall drew thousands of visitors on Monday who were among the first to tour reimagined displays.

The newly renovated Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. displays some of the museum's most iconic objects. (Image credit: Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum)

Hundreds of people lined up outside of the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum on Monday morning (July 28), waiting for the doors to open and the curtains to drop on five newly renovated galleries devoted to aviation and space exploration history.

The museum's flagship building on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. was on track to have more than 6,000 visitors be among the first to see the returning exhibits, like John Glenn's Mercury capsule "Friendship 7," and all new displays, such as SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket parts, a Blue Origin crew cabin and an immersive 3D-printed Mars habitat.

"Reopening our main hall with so many iconic aerospace artifacts, as well as completely new exhibitions, will give visitors much more to see and enjoy," said Chris Browne, the John and Adrienne Mars Director of the National Air and Space Museum, in a statement. "We are thrilled to open this next phase of exhibitions to the public."

The newly renovated north entrance to the National Air and Space Museum on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. (Image credit: Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum)

The new galleries are part of a $900 million, full-building overhaul that began in 2018 and is expected to be complete by the museum's 50th anniversary in July 2026. The five galleries that premiered to the public on Monday were the second set of reimagined and relaunched halls to reopen after a similar debut in 2022.

The new experiences began outside the building as its north entrance re-opened to the public for the first time in three years. Located alongside Jefferson Drive, the new entryway features a wing-like vestibule.

From there, the doors led directly into the "Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall," which displays some of the museum's most iconic objects. The hall underwent a restoration in 2014, so the artifacts remain mostly the same, but during its closure, the floor and ceiling were replaced and wall-length screens were added to preview what awaits visitors further into the museum.

Adjacent to "Milestones" is the new "Futures in Space" exhibition, which aims to recapture the visitor experience from when the National Air and Space Museum first opened and the space artifacts on exhibit were still contemporary to the day. Premiering in this gallery are items from the companies and other venues exploring space today, including Virgin Galactic and Axiom Space, as well as SpaceX and Blue Origin.

Rather than organize the displays by program or historic period, "Futures in Space" uses the objects it exhibits to explore the answers to a series of questions, such as: Who decides who goes to space? Why do we go? And what will we do when we get there?

A mockup of Blue Origin's New Shepard crew capsule sits alongside SpaceX Falcon 9 flown parts, a Virgin Galactic engine and a model of Axiom Space's commercial space station in "Futures in Space," newly opened at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC. (Image credit: Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum)

Artwork from the museum's extensive collection and imagery from pop culture references to the future of spaceflight complete the hall, which also includes a stage and seating area for live talks and presentations.

The other galleries that opened to the public on Monday explore aviation history, including the "Barron Hilton Pioneers of Flight," "World War I: The Birth of Military Aviation" and the "Allan and Shelley Holt Innovations Gallery." The Lockheed Martin IMAX Theater was also upgraded and is open again.

"We look forward to welcoming many more people into these modernized and inspiring new spaces," said Browne.

Entrance to the National Air and Space Museum remains free, but time entry passes available from the Smithsonian's website are required.

https://www.space.com/author/robert-z-pearlman

Smithsonian Removes Trump's Name From Impeachment Exhibit

The Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History has removed explicit reference to President Donald Trump from an exhibit about impeachment.

The museum in Washington D.C. made the change as part of a review that it agreed to undertake following White House pressure to remove an art museum director. The Washington Post first reported the removal.

Trump signed an executive order in March calling for "improper, divisive or anti-American ideology" to be removed from the Smithsonian - the vast museum and research institution that is a premier exhibition space for U.S. history and culture.

The order raised concern of political interference at the institution as well as fear that his administration is undoing decades of social progress and undermining the acknowledgment of critical phases of American history.

In September 2021, the museum installed a temporary label on content concerning the impeachments of Donald J. Trump. It was intended to be a short-term measure to address current events at the time, however, the label remained in place until July 2025.

The Washington Post reported the exhibit now notes that "only three presidents have seriously faced removal."

The temporary label - which read "Case under redesign (history happens)" - also offered information about the impeachments of former presidents Andrew Johnson in 1868 and Bill Clinton in 1998, as well as Richard Nixon, who would have faced impeachment had he not resigned in 1974, the newspaper reported, citing a photograph of the label.

The spokesperson said that after a content review, the Smithsonian decided to restore the exhibit to how it looked in 2008.

The Smithsonian receives most of its budget from the U.S. Congress but is independent of the government in decision-making.

In June, Kim Sajet stepped down as director of the National Portrait Gallery, which is part of the Smithsonian, after criticism from Trump.

In Trump's first term in office from 2017 to 2021, he became the first president to be impeached twice - the first time over a request that Ukraine investigate former President Joe Biden and his son Hunter, and the second over the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters.

The three presidents impeached - or charged with misconduct - by the House of Representatives were acquitted by the Senate.