PRESS RELEASE
The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum has announced it will present three evening lectures at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia, exploring the stories of women and people of color in aviation and spaceflight. The museum’s fall 2024 aviation lectures will highlight women who have broken boundaries in military aviation and the museum’s marquee space lecture will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Chandra X-ray Observatory. All lectures are free to the public and require advance registration. Each lecture will also be streamed live on YouTube.
Thursday, September 19: “The Path to Equality for Women Military Aviators”
The fall lecture lineup kicks off in September with the first of two Aviation Adventures lectures. The U.S. military began training women as pilots and other aviators in 1973, but they did not achieve full equality until 1993, when they gained the right to fly combat aircraft. “The Path to Equality for Women Military Aviators” will take place Sept. 19 at 8 p.m. ET and will explore the challenges faced by America’s pioneering women military aviators and their fight to open doors for future generations.
The lecture will feature Beverly Weintraub, author of Wings of Gold: The Story of the First Women Naval Aviators, and Eileen Bjorkman, U.S. Air Force veteran and author of Fly Girls Revolt: The Story of the Women Who Kicked Open the Door to Fly in Combat. The Aviation Adventures Lecture Series is made possible by the support of GE Aerospace.
Wednesday, September 25: “Seeing in X-Ray Vision”
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the launch of the Chandra X-ray Observatory, NASA’s flagship X-ray observatory. For 25 years, astronomers have pulled from Chandra’s data to create incredibly detailed images of some of the universe’s most dramatic events, from supernova explosions to black hole jets. “Seeing in X-Ray Vision” will take place Sept. 25 at 8 p.m. ET and will feature a panel of astronauts and scientists who have contributed to Chandra’s success. Two astronauts who deployed Chandra on space shuttle Columbia’s STS-93 mission will speak on the panel: Cmdr. Eileen Collins, who became the first woman to command a shuttle mission on STS-93, and Cady Coleman, a mission specialist on the mission. The event also features two scientists from the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, which manages Chandra’s science and flight operations: Patrick Slane, Chandra X-ray Center director, and Kimberly Arcand, visualization scientist. The John H. Glenn Lecture in Space History is made possible by the support of Boeing.
Thursday, October 10: “Women Take Flight: Stories of Air and Sea from the U.S. Coast Guard”
For over a century, the U.S. Coast Guard has used aviation as a means to save those in peril and protect the U.S. from maritime threats. The second Aviation Adventures lecture, “Women Take Flight: Stories of Air and Sea from the U.S. Coast Guard,” will take place Oct. 11 at 8 p.m. ET. Three of the U.S. Coast Guard’s first Black women aviators will discuss the victories and challenges of flying rescue and maritime enforcement missions for the military. The panel discussion will feature Cmdr. Jeanine Menze, a fixed wing pilot who flew during Hurricane Katrina, among other missions, and was the first Black woman pilot in the Coast Guard; Cmdr. La’Shanda Hawkins, who was the first Black woman to serve as a helicopter pilot in the Coast Guard; and Cmdr. Chanel Lee, a pilot and civil engineer in the Coast Guard who was the first Black woman to fly an MH-60 Seahawk helicopter and be sent to flight school.
All lectures will be presented in person in the Airbus IMAX Theater at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center and streamed live on the National Air and Space Museum’s YouTube channel. Registration is required for guests wishing to attend in-person and encouraged for guests who wish to attend virtually. Registration links and more information about each lecture can be found on the museum’s website.
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