The National Air and Space Museum is a must-visit during your trip to Washington, D.C. But did you know the nation’s capital has more “Space Things” than what you see at the Smithsonian? Here’s your guide to the astronaut memorials and space education sites in Washington, D.C.

The National Air and Space Museum

The National Air and Space Museum features two floors of more than 20 exhibit areas. As you enter the museum, the Lunar Excursion Module (otherwise known as a LEM) is there to greet you. Spend a few minutes checking it out and imagine standing next to it on the surface of the moon.

Nearby, you’ll find lunar exploration vehicles. Those range from ones that orbit the moon to ones that landed on the surface to help us learn more.

On the second floor, you’ll find Apollo to the Moon. There are more than 250 items on display, ranging from an Apollo 11 urine transfer tube to a Skylab 4 Command Module (also known as the CM). There may be a lot of things to read, but take the time to learn about the amazing artifacts that are there.

You could spend all day at the museum, but be sure to save time to explore the astronaut memorials around the nation’s capitol.

Apollo 13 Astronaut Statue in the U.S. Capitol

Your time in Washington, D.C., will likely include a stop at the U.S. Capitol Building for a tour. Lucky for you, if you aren’t able to get tickets for a tour, you can still see the statue from Colorado, recognizing Jack Swigert, Jr. It’s found on the ground level of Emancipation Hall – the same place you start your U.S. Capitol Tour.

Swigert was one of three astronauts flying through space on Apollo 13. The ship suffered an explosion, crippling it, and putting all three astronauts in danger. Through the work of many people on earth and the expertise of the three astronauts (including Jim Lovell and Fred Haise), they landed safely back on earth.

Swigert was later elected to Congress from the state of Colorado, but he died of cancer and was never able to take office.

Space Shuttle Memorials at Arlington National Cemetery

From the south side of the U.S. Capitol building, take the Blue Line metro to Arlington National Cemetery. Make your way through the Visitor Center and up to the Tomb of the Unknowns to watch the changing of the guard. It’s a very peaceful place, so bring your quiet voice.

Just west of the Tomb of the Unknowns are two memorials dedicated to two separate space shuttle crews that lost their lives: Challenger and Columbia.

Space Shuttle Challenger (STS-51)

In 1986, Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds after lift-off. The cause was an O-ring failure in one of the white boosters on the side of the external fuel tank, setting off a chain reaction. All seven crew members died, including five NASA astronauts and two payload specialists – one was a school teacher.

While the remains of the crew members that were identifiable were returned to family for burial, the remains that were unidentifiable were buried on this spot in Arlington.

Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-107)

Space Shuttle Columbia was the first space shuttle in the fleet to fly a mission (STS-1). The first launch was in 1981.

During it’s final launch (28 missions later), a piece of foam that insulates the external fuel tank struck part of the heat shield on the orbiters wing. While re-entering the earth’s atmosphere on February 1, 2003, the heat shield failed, destroying the ship and its crew.

Nearly 84,000 pieces of the space shuttle were collected from across Texas and parts of Louisiana. The remains of all seven crew members were found. Some of the crew members are buried in sites at Arlington National Cemetery.

On February 1, 2004, the Space Shuttle Columbia Memorial was dedicated.

Burial Site of Two Astronauts Lost in Apollo 1 Fire

On January 27, 1967, a fire erupted inside the Apollo 1 Command Module during a pre-launch test, which killed all three astronauts: Virgil “Gus” Grissom, Roger Bruce Chaffee and Ed White. The first two are both buried in Arlington National Cemetery. White, who performed America’s first Extra-Vehicular Activity (EVA or spacewalk) on Gemini 4, was buried at the US Military Academy in West Point, New York.

Grissom was selected as an astronaut during the Mercury program (NASA’s first class of astronauts). He flew in Liberty Bell 7 and Gemini 3 before being killed on Apollo 1.

Chaffee was selected in the third class of astronauts for the Apollo program in 1963. Apollo 1 would’ve been his first mission.

Both grave sites are side-by-side in Arlington National Cemetery (Section 3, site 2503-E and 2502-E).

Numerous other explorers and astronauts are interred in Arlington National Cemetery. You can find the list here, and visit the grave sites during your visit.

Conclusion

If you have transportation options to get outside of Washington, D.C., schedule a visit to the NASA Goddard Visitor Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

You don’t have to be a space nerd to find these space-related sites interesting. Visiting them can help inspire a young mind to seek the stars, because as we know from our space explorations, the sky is NOT the limit.

Interested in military aircraft? Check out the USS Midway Museum in San Diego.

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