Best National Air And Space Museum Podcasts (2024)

1
Jim the Penman 37:36

22h ago37:36

37:36

During the mid-1800s, one third of all paper money in America was thought to be fake. It was the golden age of counterfeiting, and one exceptionally talented con artist stood out from all the rest. His fakes were nearly perfect…but for a trademark tell. Known to law enforcement only as “Jim the Penman,” this celebrity criminal led many Americans to…

1
Latinas in Aviation Global Festival - College Park Aviation Museum 57:18

18h ago57:18

57:18

Welcome to Latinas in Aviation. For the last three years the iconic College Park Aviation Museum located at the historical College Park Airport which is conveniently located in the heart of the DMV (District. Maryland, Virginia) has hosted the Latinas in Aviation Global Festival. This Saturday, September 14th will be the 4th annual celebration of L…

1
Birds of a Feather 22:05

24h ago22:05

22:05

It's a bird? It's a plane? Its a guy pretending to be a bird?? We have a very odd aircraft in the collection. It's an ultralight. Small, highly maneuverable and based off the wings hang gliders use to jump off mountains, this particular ultralight was used to help birds migrate. And it starred in the movie in the '90s! When we heard that we were li…

1
It's Season 11 1:23

2d ago1:23

1:23

Sidedoor returns for its eleventh season on Wednesday, September 18th!By Smithsonian Institution

1
Are Robots About to Level Up? 39:31

21d ago39:31

39:31

Within just a few years, artificial intelligence systems that sometimes seem to display almost human characteristics have gone from science fiction to apps on your phone. But there’s another AI-influenced frontier that is developing rapidly and remains untamed: robotics. Can the technologies that have helped computers get smarter now bring similar …

1
Limited Edition 19:43

22d ago19:43

19:43

Back in the 'Golden Age' of air travel in the 50s, 60s and 70s going on a trip in an airplane was an event. On those flights you would often get a little souvenir of your air travel; a deck of cards, a little toy, a trading card, captain's wings and a hat for your little tyke. It was a way for you to show off to your friends and for the airline to …

1
Social Media and the Subway 21:28

1M ago21:28

21:28

There aren’t many portrait artists who get recognized on the street, but it happens to Devon Rodriguez all the time. After quietly honing his skill for a decade, Devon started posting videos of his live drawings of New York City subway commuters to social media. The videos took off, earning him some 50 million followers and placing portraiture in f…

1
Lasso the Moon 39:40

1M ago39:40

39:40

Over six missions, the Apollo astronauts collected and brought back 842 pounds of Lunar samples. Most of those Moon rocks were put aside for science, but some were earmarked for things like touch rocks (like we have at NASM) or educational disks (which you might have seen if you had a particularly cool science teacher growing up) and to countries a…

1
Archiving the Underground 38:06

2M ago38:06

38:06

Next up in our summer playlist, we bring you an episode of The Kitchen Sisters Present, a podcast featuring sound-rich stories ‘from the b-side of history.’ This one is a musical treat! The Kitchen Sisters delve into the story of the founding of the Hiphop Archive and Research Institute at Harvard by Dr. Marcyliena Morgan, Professor of African and …

1
AirSpace Bonus: My Mom the Rocket Scientist 23:25

2M ago23:25

23:25

Our conversation with Jack Black and his brother Neil Siegal about their Mother, Judith Love Cohen was too good just to give you just the taste from the end of our Star Search episode. Here's the extended producers cut with everything from Jack's birth story, to being an engineer in the 70s, to Judy's 2nd career as a book publisher. Thanks to Jack …

1
Star Search 29:34

2M ago29:34

29:34

There are a lot of air and space celebrities; pilots, astronauts, engineers, etc etc. But there's another category of celebrities that are famous for other things but also have surprising ties to air or space. Today we're talking about three of those; a famous tv chef who also helped create a shark repellant for aviators and spacecraft, an actor fr…

1
Rocket Man 40:53

2M ago40:53

40:53

In the twentieth century, the jetpack became synonymous with the idea of a ‘futuristic society.’ Appearing in cartoons and magazines, it felt like a matter of time before people could ride a jetpack to work. But jetpacks never became a mainstream technology, leaving many to wonder…why? In this episode of 99 Percent Invisible, producer Chris Berube …

1
X-Ray Vision 29:54

2M ago29:54

29:54

When the Chandra X-Ray Observatory launched 25 years ago, it showed us our universe in a whole new light (literally). From the remnants of exploded stars to Jupiter's auroras, Chandra has shown us so many beautiful and scientifically important sights. Even after a quarter decade this unique telescope is still giving us new data about black holes an…

1
A Giant Listening Project 25:26

2M ago25:26

25:26

It’s been called ‘the most noble and absurd undertaking ever attempted by any state.’ During the height of the Great Depression, the U.S government hired out-of-work writers and laid-off reporters and sent them out to record the stories of all kinds of Americans. Called the Federal Writers’ Project, historians have called the program a giant “liste…

1
Welcome to Roswell 36:13

3M ago36:13

36:13

The city of Roswell, New Mexico is kind of in the middle of nowhere. Out in the dessert west of Texas, this small oasis in the dessert was first home to indigenous peoples, then cowboys, ranching and farming and then the military before becoming the crash site of a possible UFO in 1947. That story took on a life of it's own and by the time the Army…

1
Entering NASA's Workforce Pipeline via the NASA PATHWAYS Internship Program 1:03:41

3M ago1:03:41

1:03:41

NASA is looking for aspiring aerospace professionals from diverse backgrounds who are passionate about the opportunities and possibilities with all that NASA offers. My conversation included expertise and guidance from `Mai Miller, the NASA Pathways Program Coordinator, at the NASA Kennedy Space Center, and personal insight and perspectives from cu…

1
The Lost Woolly Dog 41:07

3M ago41:07

41:07

For thousands of years, fluffy white dogs could be found across the Pacific Northwest. Their exceptionally soft, crimpy hair was shorn like sheep’s wool, spun into yarn, and woven into blankets and robes by indigenous women who carefully tended them in communities across Coast Salish territory. But a hundred years ago, the woolly dog quietly vanish…

1
Let's Talk About Sex 21:44

3M ago21:44

21:44

Sci-fi is full of giant ships full of humanity living and dying and reaching out to new places far far away. Usually, these are called generations ships. And they rely on well, generations. But today in science-fact there's so much more about reproducing in space that we don't know than the small amount that we do. And as we get closer to commercia…

1
Cosmic Journey II: Voyage into the Abyss 32:10

3M ago32:10

32:10

Hitch a ride on the Chandra X-ray Observatory as it scours deep space for some of the most enigmatic and misunderstood objects in the universe: black holes. What are they good for? Absolutely something. This is the second episode of a two-part journey celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Chandra X-ray Observatory and the Smithsonian Astrophysica…

1
Tiny Jumper 18:02

4M ago18:02

18:02

Georgia "Tiny" Broadwick was 15 years old when she first jumped out of a hot air balloon with a parachute in 1908. Over the next 14 years she would make over 1,000 jumps, first out of balloons and then as the first woman to jump from an airplane. Her talent and skill was sought after by the Army in WWI when they first started training their balloon…

1
Cosmic Journey I: "Stellar Buffoonery" 34:37

4M ago34:37

34:37

Black holes could unlock the mysteries of creation and live at the heart of nearly every galaxy. But these invisible balls of extremely dense matter have never been fully understood, especially when they were only a theory. We travel through a cosmic wormhole back to the 1930s to learn how the first astrophysicist to successfully theorize a black h…

1
The Suicide Squad 35:11

5M ago35:11

35:11

In the 1930s, rocketry was basically a joke among the scientific establishment in the U, but that didn't stop a rag tag group out of Pasadena from trying to build rockets. That group would first be known as The Suicide Squad (for all the dangerous experiments they conducted on campus) and later as the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Over its first decad…

1
Cicadapalooza 33:04

4M ago33:04

33:04

The cicadas are back for some fun in the sun, and this time, they’re louder than ever! For the first time since 1803, Broods XIII and XIX will be emerging at the same time, covering the American South and Midwest with trillions of cicadas. As Smithsonian entomologist Floyd Shockley readies his nets for the biggest bug invasion in centuries, we look…

1
Bonus! This is Love: Tau = 10.8 44:17

5M ago44:17

44:17

AirSpace will be back in two weeks with brand new epsiodes. In the meantime, enjoy this episode from our friends at the podcast, This is Love. When twin rovers named Spirit and Opportunity landed on Mars twenty years ago, they were only supposed to last 90 Martian days. But years passed, they were still alive, and engineers kept taking care of them…

1
The Birds and the Beans 37:21

5M ago37:21

37:21

"God in a cup." "Perfection." "The world's best coffee." Panamanian geisha coffee has been called many things, but never Smithsonian Bird Friendly certified. That might soon change, however, as researchers from Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute’s Migratory Bird Center find new ways to grow coffee in harmony with migratory …

1
Meet the Queen of Culinary Aviation, Paula Kraft, Co-Founder of DaVinci Inflight Training Institute 1:00:48

5M ago1:00:48

1:00:48

Earlier this year, I had the privilege of visiting and touring the DaVinci Inflight Training Institute which is adjacent to the Ft. Lauderdale Executive airport. Besides being impressed with what I saw at this state of the art cabin crew member professional training facility, I had an enlightening sidebar conversation with Paula Kraft that made me …

1
Legendary Airport Boss: Angela Gittens Shares Airport Management Wisdom with Shauntel Clarke, Graduate Student at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, FL 1:01:03

5M ago1:01:03

1:01:03

Airport management legend Angela Gittens talks openly with me and shares insight about her distinguished aviation career, her unexpected career path, and the rewards of her accomplishments. Angela has served as the Director General of Airports Council International (ACI World) before retiring in 2020; she was CEO for Miami International and Hartsfi…

1
Bonus! Space Marathon 33:29

5M ago33:29

33:29

While we get Season Nine ready for you, we turned to our friends at Sidedoor to bring you a story of running and running and running and running…in Space! We’ll let them take it from here: Until the 1970s, women were barred from competing in U.S. marathons because of the belief that the "violent movements" of running would wreak havoc on their repr…

1
Dude, Where’s my Carbon? 32:36

5M ago32:36

32:36

If you’ve bought a plane ticket recently, you’ve probably had the option to pay a few extra dollars to offset your carbon emissions. That money might go toward planting some trees… but how many trees? Researchers at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute are trying to answer this very question by hand-measuring trees, weighing wood, and climbi…

1
AirSpace Revisited - With a Little Help From My Friends 25:53

6M ago25:53

25:53

You’ll have new AirSpace episodes soon, but since they may have found Amelia Earhart’s plane(!!!) we thought we’d revisit our episode on her and Eleanor Roosevelt’s somewhat unlikely friendship. On a spring evening in 1933, Amelia Earhart took first lady Eleanor Roosevelt on a joyride. Imagine two women—dressed for dinner at the White House (white …

1
Monkeyin' Around on the Devil's Island 28:24

6M ago28:24

28:24

It started as a rumor in the cafeteria of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama: monkeys on an island in the Pacific were doing something no one had ever seen them do before. But when researchers went searching for these elusive capuchin monkeys, they discovered more questions than answers. Guests: Claudio Monteza, Smithsonian Tropi…

1
When the Sun Went Out 28:55

6M ago28:55

28:55

As we look forward to the upcoming total solar eclipse over North America, AirSpace is looking back in time to a much much older eclipse. In 1142 a total solar eclipse with much the same path as the one coming up April 8. It was also the sign in the sky the Seneca needed to join the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, a representative democracy that would g…

1
Face Value 31:54

6M ago31:54

31:54

Money is power. But who's on our money - or isn’t - can be just as powerful. While Lady Liberty has graced American coins and dollars for most of our history, it wasn’t until the 1970s that a real woman appeared on a circulating American coin. But that's about to change. Congress recently authorized the creation of twenty new quarters featuring Ame…

1
Women in Aviation International's Inspiring 35th Annual Conference Elevating Aviation and Aerospace Career Opportunities and Possibilities 54:34

6M ago54:34

54:34

Looking for career opportunities and possibilities in aviation and aerospace? Join me as we share a detailed overview of the Women in Aviation International 2024 conference taking place March 21-24 at the Orlando World Center Marriott in Orlando, Florida are Lynda Coffman, the newly selected CEO of Women in Aviation International (WAI), and Stephan…

1
Leap Day Bonus: Accounting for the Ish 10:39

7M ago10:39

10:39

Did you know that it takes the Earth 365-ish days to orbit the sun? It’s that ‘ish’ that makes February 29 a thing every four years. We talk to one of the Museum’s astronomy educators to get the low down on Leap Day. Thanks to Astronomy Educator Shauna Brandt Edson for joining Emily for this episode. Sign up here for the monthly AirSpace newsletter…

1
Jeepers Leapers! 13:30

7M ago13:30

13:30

Did you know a person born on February 29 is called a "leapling"? This special episode is hopping with Leap Day trivia! Like, why do we need an extra day every four years anyway? And will I get paid for working an extra day in February? It's the lowdown on Leap Day in an episode that's as off-kilter as the earth's axis. Guest: Bob Craddock, Geologi…

1
The Helicopter Industry Powers Up to Full Speed at Heli-Expo in the Anaheim Convention Center 1:01:03

7M ago1:01:03

1:01:03

Everything you have ever wanted to know about the helicopter industry with 60 plus helicopters on display along with over 600 helicopter industry exhibitors. has gotten even better. The Helicopter Association International has evolved into the Vertical Aviation International. To talk about Heli-Expo in detail are my guests James Viola, President an…

1
Liberation through Exploration 35:01

7M ago35:01

35:01

Afrofuturism is a cultural movement that explores the possibilities of Black futures and pasts and presents through art, literature, music, film and pop culture. And a lot of Afrofuturism has a lot of space in it. Today we're talking about Afrofuturist space and Afronauts and walking through the Afrofuturism exhibit by our friends at the National M…

1
Til Death Do Us Part? 29:20

7M ago29:20

29:20

They say love is eternal. What about heartbreak? This Valentine’s Day, we bring you some of Japanese theater’s most popular tales of scorned lovers seeking vengeance from beyond the grave — with a burning passion. Guests: Frank Feltens, Curator of Japanese Art at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art Kit Brooks, Japan Foundation Assistant …

1
Love at First Flight 27:04

8M ago27:04

27:04

Hollywood is in love with airports and airplanes and we are too! How many rom-coms can you name where the meet cute, the almost meet, the epic chase or the long distance relationships happens thanks to a terminal or twist of fate seat assignment? We can name at least six. And if we missed your favorite, drop us a comment on Instagram or Twitter! Th…

1
To Sidedoor, With Love 36:22

8M ago36:22

36:22

From brontosauruses with bronchitis to birds on a wire to flying space rocks and a botched heist at 20 thousand feet. In this episode, Lizzie and Sidedoor producer James run all around the Smithsonian to answer listeners' questions from the Sidedoor mailbag. Guests: Lynn Heidelbaugh, curator at the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum Sara Hallager…

1
Video Killed the Radio Star 18:35

8M ago18:35

18:35

From when it started in 1981, MTV used an iconic neon scribbled astronaut as its channel ID for years. And even today the award you get when you win a VMA is a statuette of an Apollo era astronaut, but why is MTV obsessed with the Moonman? And why do we have two of those statuettes in our collection? We're digging into the history of cable's giant …

1
Tails of Bravery 46:31

8M ago46:31

46:31

As long as there have been wars, animals have joined their human companions on the battlefield. But a few have served so bravely they’ve been memorialized at the Smithsonian. In honor of these furry and feathered war heroes, we bring you the tales of dogs, cats and birds who went above and beyond the call of duty. Guests: Jennifer Jones, curator of…

1
Eye from Above 38:13

8M ago38:13

38:13

Hurricanes are a fact of life in the Caribbean but in 2017, the season was so bad that it changed everything for the people of Puerto Rico. Only two weeks after another major hurricane, Maria barreled into the island bringing more than 200 mile per hour winds, rain and flooding. In the aftermath, the Coast Guard with their helicopters are crucial t…

1
The Milkmaid Spy 28:55

9M ago28:55

28:55

Virginia Hall dreamed of being America’s first female ambassador. Instead, she became a spy. Joining the ranks of the U.S.’s first civilian spy network, she operated alone in occupied France, where she built French Resistance networks, delivered critical intelligence, and sold cheese to the enemy. All on one leg. Guests: Sonia Purnell, author of “A…

1
31,500 Miles 21:50

9M ago21:50

21:50

In January 1942 a B-314 flying boat operated by Pan American World Airways landed in New York after making arguably the first around the world flight by a commercial airliner. But when they set out from San Francisco in 1941, they never intended to hold that record. Trapped in the Pacific by the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Captain Bob Ford and…

1
Auld Lang What? 21:18

9M ago21:18

21:18

It’s a song we often hear at the start of the new year. But what does “auld lang syne” even mean? And how did it come to be associated with New Year's Eve? With a little musical sleuthing, we find Charlie Chaplin might have something to do with it… Guests: James Deutsch, curator of folklife and popular culture at the Smithsonian Center for Folklife…

1
Ad Astra With Wendy Lawrence 1:01:06

9M ago1:01:06

1:01:06

Wendy Lawrence is a retired NASA astronaut and pilot for the United States Navy. She joined host Sean Mobley for a frank and honest conversation about resilience, finding community, and reflecting on her time in the Navy and at NASA through an LGBTQ+ lens.In Season 3 of The Flight Deck, we’re sharing stories of LGBTQ+ people in aerospace.Full shown…

1
These Are the Droids We're Working With 34:32

9M ago34:32

34:32

In a lot of political and financial circles space exploration is often talked about in terms of human space exploration VERSUS robotic space travel. But most scientists and engineers who work on space missions think this question is better answered with a yes, and. We're diving into the pros, cons and uses of both human and robotic space exploratio…

1
10 LGBTQ+ People In Aerospace You Should Know 33:11

9M ago33:11

33:11

LGBTQ+ people have been part of aviation and space science for centuries. Today’s episode is a bit of a departure from our normal format. Special guest Joalda Morancy rejoins host Sean Mobley to spotlight 10 individuals in aerospace past and present who are part of the LGBTQ+ umbrella.This list of 10 people is not meant to be comprehensive. If you …

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