On Saturday, February 24th, myself and my peers had the opportunity to tour the National Air and Space Museum and explore the many galleries that the museum had to offer. I had so much fun during this experience, and loved the opportunity to learn more about our planet (and beyond!) alongside my fellow scholars.
As a change of pace from the previous excursion I attended, this trip did not have any guided tours, and we were free to explore the museum at our own pace. While this was interesting and certainly more lenient than the New York Trip, I missed the opportunity to learn from Dr. Holtz and Dr. Merck, and to hear more about the exhibits within the museum. Though they were not there to guide us, both professors were present at the trip to answer whatever questions we had. My group took this opportunity to speak with Dr. Merck about some of the rock samples within the Destination Moon exhibit. This was one of three exhibits that we explored. The other two that my group saw were the Exploring the Planets exhibit and the One World Connected exhibit.
The Exploring the Planets exhibit detailed both the discoveries we have made on different planets as well as the technology that made such exploration possible. This information was portrayed in many ways, most notably through infographics, models, and actual samples or pieces of the technology used to explore the solar system. This exhibit was moderately interactive, as there were panels that could be lifted to reveal more information, as well as a movie on display for children and adults to learn from. One invention that helped us to explore beyond Earth was the Kepler Space Telescope, which was used to help us take pictures of the planets that orbit the stars we can see in the night sky. While the telescope itself was not on display, there were pictures that allowed visitors to see the invention. What was on display, however, was a narrow angle camera used to photograph images seen through 700mm telescopes. Beyond technology, other discoveries that were depicted in this exhibit include the discovery of Uranus’s rings by the Kuiper Airborne Observatory, as well as the development of the Mars Rover, which helped us to understand so much more about our planetary neighbor.
Speaking of our celestial neighbors, the Destination Moon exhibit taught us about the different missions that took us to the moon, as well as the discoveries that we made while we were there. The exhibit included infographics as well as authentic displays of space suits used in the Apollo missions. There were also small samples of rocks found on the moon. Compared to the Exploring the Planets exhibit, much of what was on display here was authentic, as opposed to just models or pictures which made the exhibit feel more engaging. My favorite interactive feature of this exhibit was a screen that allowed people to assemble a Saturn V rocket engine by dragging and dropping parts together. The main concepts covered by this exhibit were lunar composition and the working parts of rockets. Samples of basalt, anorthosite, and breccia were used to explain the geological makeup of the moon. More impressive than that though, was a deconstructed shuttle engine for the f-1 Apollo 11. This display was massive, and incredible to examine, as the engine was segmented in a way that allowed the viewer to see how each little part connected and worked together. This display was of course accompanied by information about each part and its role in the engine. Even as someone with little to no interest in engineering, I found this display to be extremely impressive and overall just cool to look at.
The final exhibit, One World Connected, was much more in line with the areas of science that interest me the most. This exhibit took a more historical approach to concepts such as environmentalism and global communications, and the roles of satellites in advancing these areas of research. The exhibit featured inventions such as the development of communication satellites in the 1960’s that could send signals to and from different places leading to the development of telephones, TV and radio. Satellites also aided in the discovery of increases in carbon dioxide emissions, as they were able to scan and image Earth over long periods and detect atmospheric changes over time. This information was displayed mostly in the use of models and infographics. My favorite display was one that had vintage buttons worn by environmental activists during the 1960’s and 1970’s. As an environmental science major, and someone who enjoys vintage items, this display was right up my alley, especially as an unexpected find. I found that this exhibit was the most interactive out of the ones that we visited, as there were many screens to click on and read from, as well as a makeshift radio with knobs that allowed visitors to switch between different channels. This was by far my favorite exhibit.
Overall, the day was full of learning and exploration. After going to the museum me and my friends were able to explore D.C. and grab lunch together. I always value the excursions as an opportunity to learn more about the world around me, but also as an opportunity to get off campus and go to new places. I look forward to visiting new places next year!