VOICE ONE:
This year, the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D-Ccelebrates its twenty-fifth birthday. Almosttwo-hundred-twenty-million people have visited the museum since itopened. The Air and Space Museum is the most popular museum in theworld. I’m Shirley Griffith.
VOICE TWO:
And I’m Sarah Long. The National Air and Space Museum is ourreport today on the V-O-A Special English program, THIS IS AMERICA.
(THEME)
VOICE ONE:
“The Future Takes Off From Here.” This is what National Air andSpace Museum officials are calling their year-long anniversarycelebration. The museum first opened its doors on July first,Nineteen-Seventy-Six. This was three days before the United Statescelebrated its two-hundredth birthday. At that time, PresidentGerald Ford called the museum a “perfect birthday gift from theAmerican people to themselves.” And what a gift it has been for themillions of people who have visited the museum. About nine-millionpeople visit the Air and Space Museum each year.
VOICE TWO:
Retired United States Marine Corps general and pilot John Daileyis the director of the Air and Space Museum. He says the museum hassucceeded beyond everyone’s hopes. Now General Dailey says themuseum is taking new steps to educate people and support discovery.During the next year, the museum plans to hold several specialevents. They include free talks by space experts, a series of films,and the release of several new books. General Dailey said the launchof the year-long celebration on July first was a chance for themuseum to thank its friends and supporters. There was free food atthe celebration, balloons for children, and music by the UnitedStates Air Force Band.
(MUSIC BRIDGE)
VOICE ONE:
The National Air and Space Museum is part of the SmithsonianInstitution. The Smithsonian includes sixteen museums, the NationalZoo and several research centers. Nine of the Smithsonian’s museums,including Air and Space, are on the National Mall in Washington.They are between the United States Capitol building and theWashington Monument honoring America’s first president.
The Air and Space Museum’s collection of historic objects datesback to the Eighteen-Seventies when China gave the United Statestwenty hand-held kites. A kite is an object that flies at the end ofa rope. It is made with a small support or frame, and covered withpaper or cloth. During the celebration at the museum, hundreds ofchildren learned how to make their own kites.
VOICE TWO:
One of the most famous objects at the Air and Space Museum is thefirst airplane. In Nineteen-Oh-Three, Wilbur and Orville Wrightbuilt a wood and cloth plane called the Wright Flyer. The plane madeits first flight from Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Orville Wright waspiloting the Wright Flyer. It flew thirty-six meters. This historicfirst flight lasted just twelve seconds. Yet it launched thediscovery and development of flying machines.
VOICE ONE:
Visitors can see another famous American airplane at the Air andSpace Museum. It is the Spirit of Saint Louis. InNineteen-Twenty-Seven, Charles Lindbergh became the first pilot inhistory to fly cross the Atlantic Ocean alone. The trip lastedthirty-three hours. Lindbergh flew from Long Island, New York toParis, France. He flew more than five-thousand-eight-hundredkilometers without stopping. His successful trip in the Spirit ofSaint Louis made Charles Lindbergh a world hero.
VOICE TWO:
The National Air and Space Museum also has the world’s fastestairplane. The North American X-Fifteen has a rocket for an engine.In Nineteen-Fifty-Nine, it became the first plane with wings totravel more than four times faster than the speed of sound. Its topspeed was more than seven-thousand kilometers an hour.
The heaviest airplane in the world is also at the National Airand Space Museum. The Douglas D-C-Three was built inNineteen-Thirty-Five. It was the first successful passenger plane totransport people all over the world. This plane weighs more thanseven-thousand-five-hundred kilograms. Yet it hangs from the top ofthe museum as if it were a toy.
The Air and Space Museum was designed to be able to hangairplanes and spacecraft. The museum has steel supports on its roof,which are hidden from the public. To bring airplanes in and out ofthe building, the glass wall at the museum’s west end opens like ahuge sliding glass door.
VOICE ONE:
Children of all ages especially love the National Air and SpaceMuseum. For three-year-old Everest from Maryland, the airplanes arethe best part of the Air and Space Museum.
(CUT ONE: FIRST LITTLE BOY)
But Ian from New Jersey thought the museum’s spaceships androckets were more exciting.
(CUT TWO: SECOND LITTLE BOY)
VOICE TWO:
One of the most famous spacecraft in the museum is Columbia. Itcarried Apollo Eleven astronauts Neil Armstrong, “Buzz” Aldrin, andMichael Collins to the moon in Nineteen-Sixty-Nine. Neil Armstrongand Buzz Aldrin were the first humans to step foot on the moon.Their historic success led to more Apollo trips to the moon duringthe late Nineteen-Sixties and early Nineteen-Seventies.
The last Apollo trip to the moon was in Nineteen-Seventy-Two.Astronauts brought back a piece of the moon. Visitors to the Air andSpace Museum can touch this moon rock. It is almostfour-thousand-million years old.
The museum also has many games and educational areas for childrento learn more about space. This song, for example, teaches childrenabout space and the planets in our solar system.
(CUT THREE: SONG)
VOICE ONE:
Visitors usually enjoy all the objects at the National Air andSpace Museum. But there was one airplane that caused much criticism.From Nineteen-Ninety-Five to Nineteen-Ninety-Eight, the museumdisplayed the Enola Gay. This American B-Twenty-Nine airplanedropped a nuclear bomb on Hiroshima, Japan during World War Two.
When the museum first announced its plans for the exhibit, formerAmerican soldiers and some members of Congress denounced it. Theysaid the proposed exhibit would have showed the Americans asaggressors and the Japanese as victims. They said it would haveprovided too much information about nuclear war and not enough aboutthe bravery of American soldiers.
After much public criticism, the Air and Space Museum changed itsplans. But other critics criticized the resulting exhibit as alimited view of history. The entire incident forced then-directorMartin Harwit to resign as head of the museum.
(MUSIC BRIDGE)
VOICE TWO:
The Air and Space Museum is huge. Yet it only holds about tenpercent of the museum’s historic collection of objects. Another tenpercent is on loan to other museums around the world. The remainingeighty percent of the collection is in a building in Maryland. Theobjects will be moved to a new structure currently being built nearWashington Dulles International Airport in Virginia. It will cost anestimated two-hundred-forty-million dollars to build.
This new Air and Space Museum is expected to open inTwo-Thousand-Three. It will show more than two-hundred airplanes,one-hundred-thirty-five spacecraft, and many other historicalobjects. Most of these objects have never been shown to the public.About twelve-million people are expected to visit the new museumeach year. These visitors to the new Space Museum will be able tosee many more interesting objects that show the exciting history offlight.
(THEME)
VOICE ONE:
This program was written by Jill Moss. It was produced by CatyWeaver. Our studio engineer was Keith Holmes. I’m Shirley Griffith.
VOICE TWO:
And I’m Sarah Long. Join us again next week for another reportabout life in the United States on the V-O-A Special Englishprogram, THIS IS AMERICA.