Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Completes Seven-Year Renovation

The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C. has completed its extensive seven-year renovation, costing nearly $1 billion. On October 30, the museum unveiled its final spaceflight exhibition, "At Home in Space," which chronicles humanity's long journey of space exploration and the establishment of a spacefaring civilization.

This exhibition highlights humanity's capacity to live in space and the long-duration spaceflight experience on platforms like the International Space Station (ISS). With all sections of the museum now reopened, the nation's world-class aerospace collection is once again accessible to the public.

Highlights

• Seven-Year Renovation: The comprehensive renovation, costing nearly $1 billion, has been completed after seven years of work.
• "At Home in Space" Exhibition: The final exhibition, focusing on long-duration spaceflight and living in space, has opened to visitors.
• Key Artifacts: Rare items such as a space shuttle main engine, the Robonaut 1A prototype, and a fully flown EMU spacesuit are on display.
• Tribute to Tragedy: Debris from the Challenger and Columbia space shuttles are exhibited to honor the lost astronauts.
• Interactive Experience: Visitors can explore a full-size mockup of the ISS Destiny module and experience space-related scents.

Details

The "At Home in Space" exhibition immerses guests in the equipment, spacecraft, and orbital platforms that have enabled humanity to transition from merely visiting space to living there. Curator Jennifer Levasseur explained that the gallery tells the story of long-duration spaceflight over the past few decades. Among the unique artifacts is a fully flown Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) spacesuit, which is the same type used on the International Space Station (ISS) and is believed to be the only one on public display worldwide.

The exhibition also includes recovered components from the Challenger and Columbia space shuttle tragedies, displayed to honor the individuals lost during the shuttle program. Visitors can walk through a full-size mockup of the ISS Destiny module, viewing intriguing objects such as coffee cups engineered for microgravity and the first biotech kits used for DNA sequencing in space. The first 3D printer used in space is also part of the display.

Concluding the gallery is a dedicated space for the Artemis I capsule, the uncrewed spacecraft that flew to the Moon in 2022. The actual capsule is expected to be delivered to the museum by NASA later this year. The museum's renovation also involved refacing the exterior cladding, replacing mechanical systems, and numerous other improvements. The first half of the museum reopened in 2022, with the second phase following in 2025.

Why it matters

This extensive renovation of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum offers the public a deeper insight into the rich history and future of space exploration. Exhibitions like "At Home in Space" serve as crucial educational and inspirational resources for understanding humanity's presence in space and future goals, such as lunar and Martian bases. The reopening of all museum galleries provides an unmissable experience for aviation and space enthusiasts.