Air & Space Smithsonian – September 2019

VIEWPORT

Washington,DC Chantilly,VA

From the Director of the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum

Forces That Lift

by Ellen Stofan

studentgroupstoparticipateinteamlearning.

A newCessna 172 Skyhawkwillbethecentral

galleryinteractive,givingmanyvisitorstheirfirst

experienceinsidea cockpit—theonlyopportunity

tositinsideanaircraftintheentireMuseum.

Animportantpartofourtransformationis a

commitmenttotellingdiversestories.Woven

intothemessagingofthisgallerywillbecareer

storiesthatwehopespeaktoeveryvisitor.To

fulfillourvisiontocreatea nationofinnovators

andexplorers,weneedtowiden,notwinnow,the

fieldoffutureaviators.Theskyis notlimitedtoa

privilegedfew,andinspiringthenextgeneration

ofaerospaceprofessionalsis themissionofHow

ThingsFlyandofourentireMuseum.

EllenStofanis theJohnandAdrienneMarsDirectorof

theNationalAirandSpaceMuseum.

THE “HOW THINGS FLY” gallery in the

National Air and Space Museum is the only one

dedicated exclusively to learning about STEAM

subjects—Science, Technology, Engineering,

Art, and Math. Staffed by experienced Museum

Explainers—high school and college students who

clarify and tell the stories behind the exhibits—the

gallery introduces STEAM concepts through

demonstrations, hands-on interactives, and design

challenges. Now this gallery is about to become

an even more engaging educational experience.

We have recently received a $10 million gift from

Textron to help us reimagine the How Things Fly

gallery as part of the multi-year transformation of

our Museum on the National Mall.

Aimed at a middle-school audience, the new

gallery will feature a more sophisticated design

and immersive, interactive experiences created

to challenge visitors in STEAM concepts. The

big idea we hope young people take away is an

understanding of the four forces that guide the

design and function of everything that flies.

Highlights of the re-imagined gallery include the

AAR Design Hangar. There, visitors will use simple

materials, the engineering design process, and their

imaginations to find solutions to different air and

space-related design challenges. The demonstration

theater will offer staff-led demonstrations involv-

ing visitors in the exploration of forces affecting

things flying in Earth’s atmosphere and beyond.

We are adding a mezzanine level that will serve

as a transition from the environment of atmo-

spheric flight to that of space flight. It will offer

different vantage points and help our visitors get

the most from our activities and engage with each

other. Our interactives will invite families and

A NEW CESSNA 172 SKYHAWKWILLBETHE

CENTRAL GALLERY INTERACTIVE—THE

ONLY OPPORTUNITY TO SITINSIDEAN

AIRCRAFT IN THE ENTIREMUSEUM.

In an artist’s

concept of the new

How Things Fly

gallery, visitors stroll

and use interactive

displays on a

mezzanine.

NASM

2 AIR & SPACE airspacemag.com