Ten Objects that Transformed the World

1903 Wright Flyer
This is the world’s very first heavier-than-air machine to achieve controlled, sustained flight with a pilot on board. It was invented and flown by brothers Orville and Wilbur Wright in 1903. Every airplane since has incorporated the same basic design elements.

"Spirit of St. Louis"
Charles Lindbergh revealed the huge potential of long-distance air travel when he piloted this aircraft nonstop across the Atlantic Ocean in 1927. Lindbergh stayed awake for 33 ½ hours to make the pioneering trip.

Douglas World Cruiser "Chicago"
This airplane was one of four commissioned by the United States Army Air Service in 1923 to attempt the first around-the-world flight. Only two completed the arduous 44,085 km (27,553 mi) journey, including the "Chicago."

"Star Trek" Starship "Enterprise" Studio Model
Although not a real spaceship, this studio model from the popular 1960s show "Star Trek" helped inspire people around the world to imagine the future of space. Many of those viewers entered careers in aerospace.

Discoverer 13 and Corona
The Discoverer satellite program began an age of spying from space that continues to this day. A Corona satellite with a camera would photograph countries like the Soviet Union and China. The film was then returned in a capsule (pictured) that would parachute through the sky and then be captured mid-air by an Air Force C-119 plane.

Mercury Friendship 7
John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth in this capsule, proving the United States could compete with the Soviet Union in the Cold War space race. Glenn circled the Earth three times before returning a hero.

SpaceShipOne
Launched from its White Knight mothership, the rocket-powered SpaceShipOne and its pilot ascended just beyond the atmosphere, arced through space (but not into orbit), then glided safely back to Earth. The privately built craft expanded opportunities for commercial spaceflight.

Hubble Space Telescope
The Hubble Space Telescope has sent us mesmerizing images of distant galaxies and stars being born. These images have captivated the world and expanded our knowledge of the universe. The Museum’s Hubble Space Telescope was used as a test vehicle.

Space Shuttle Discovery
For 30 years, space shuttle orbiters, the world’s first reusable spacecraft, blasted into space for a variety of missions. Discovery flew 39 Earth-orbital missions, spent a total of 365 days in space, and traveled almost 240 million kilometers (150 million miles)—more than any other orbiter.

See Other Unbelievable Artifacts
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