America 250: The Air & Space Power Story

This week we visit Tennessee! The Volunteer State is home to Arnold Engineering Development Complex, which is key for both air and space test efforts. This includes a thermal vacuum chamber used to ensure satellites can withstand the extreme environment of space. We also learn about the contributions of Lieutenant General Frank Andrews, who was a pivotal leader that helped lay the foundations for...

This week we visit Kentucky! U.S. aviation—both civil and military— progressed after World War I thanks to the airmail industry. This sector developed new aircraft, increasingly sophisticated means of navigation, and the economic model necessary to advance flight in those pioneer years. Bowman Field of Louisville, Kentucky was a key airmail hub and later served as an important base in World War II...

This week we visit Vermont! You can't discuss airpower in that part of New England without reflecting upon the contributions of the Green Mountain Boys. First formed in 1946, the Vermont Air National Guard plays a critical role at home and abroad with their F-35s. In the space domain, we also highlight key industry players that have a long history of supporting the nation’s space endeavors. This e...

This week we visit Rhode Island! World War II Army Air Force airpower in the Pacific wouldn't have been possible without the US Navy's Seabees. They constructed the runways, fuel depots, operations facilities, and everything else required to advance combat flight operations. The Seabee Memorial Park and Museum in North Kingston, RI commemorates this crucial history. We also learn about spacepower'...

Mitchell Institute travels to North Carolina, where we visit the Sullenberger Aviation Museum in Charlotte, which houses a YF-102A prototype—an aircraft that formed the backbone for America’s homeland defense during some of the darkest days of the Cold War. We learn how it tied into the sophisticated SAGE air defense system. On the space side, 10 astronauts come from North Carolina, and the state...

This week we visit New York! The Empire State was a World War II industrial powerhouse that built a major percentage of the planes the Allies used to defat Axis forces. New York is also a key contributor to the space domain. Whether considering it’s the home of 31 NASA astronauts, or the role Eastman Kodak Company played in developing many of the optics and film used for space reconnaissance syste...

This week we visit Virginia, home of many locations and artifacts that have been instrumental in America’s air and space power story. Virginia is the home of the National Reconnaissance Office and the Wollops Flight Facility which served as the launch site for many historic space missions. In Virginia you’ll also find Langley Air Force Base which has a storied history and is the current home of Ai...

This week we visit New Hampshire! Early in World War II, the Granite State witnessed a massive expansion of critical airpower infrastructure at Grenier Field in Manchester. This base served as the key launching point for single aircraft that took the northern route to the European Theater, while also sustaining a variety of additional missions—everything from training sorties to anti-submarine pat...

This week we are travelling to South Carolina! In February 1942, then-Lt Col Jimmy Doolittle visited Columbia Air Base to recruit the airmen who would serve as the famed Doolittle Raiders.  His words were direct: “We have a mission. Can’t tell you what it’s going be. It’s very, very dangerous. We only want volunteers.”  Visitors can learn more about this at the South Carolina Historic Aviation Fou...

This week we travel to Maryland! It’s the birthplace of 8 astronauts and is home to the NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, which pioneered mission control functions early in the space race and still operates systems like the Hubble and the James Webb telescopes. Additionally, we also explore College Park Airport, where Army aviation literally first took flight under the tutelage of Wilbur Wright...

This week we travel to the birthplace of America, Massachusetts! We visit the American Heritage Museum in Hudson, MA which includes some of the world’s best warbirds—including a P-40 that was at Pearl Harbor. The collection also features two actual cells from the Hanoi Hilton—a powerful reminder of the bravery, sacrifice, and dedication to duty displayed by American POWs. The Bay State is also the...

Join us on a visit to Connecticut, where we learn about where some of the most famous aircraft were built—from the flying boats that explored the world to WWII-era fighters and pioneering helicopters. Plus, we also explore where key parts of the Apollo program were constructed, plus new technology for NASA’s Artemis program. 

This week, we visit Georgia to discover where the famed 8th Air Force was created in the opening months of WWII and where you can see a fantastic museum celebrating this heritage. We also learn about how Georgia Tech is a key spacepower partner for the nation—yesterday, today, and looking towards tomorrow.

On this week’s episode of the America 250: Air and Space Power podcast, we continue our tour around the nation to learn more about the key artifacts, places, and people that helped pioneer air and space power. Heather, Doug, and Charles visit New Jersey and explore a site where U.S. Army scientists first bounced radar waves off the moon in a quest to detect ballistic missiles. We also discuss how...

On this week’s episode of the America 250: Air and Space Power podcast, we continue our tour around the nation to learn more about the key artifacts, places, and people that helped pioneer air and space power. Heather, Doug, and Charles visit Pennsylvania and explore the invention of the Air Force’s first integrated weapons system: the P-61 Black Widow. We also learn about a key installation in Jo...

This week we’re kicking off the America 250: Air and Space Power podcast. 2026 is a major anniversary for our country—250 years since our forefathers created an independent nation. We’re excited to help celebrate that history through an air and space lens. Each state has contributed to the Air Force and Space Force in one way or another. There isn’t one key artifact, person, or exhibit. Instead, i...

In this teaser episode, we kick off America 250: Air and Space Power Story, a year-long journey honoring the 250th anniversary of the United States through the lens of airpower and spacepower. Every state has played a role in shaping America’s Air Force and Space Force—and over the next 50 weeks, we’ll tell those stories one state at a time, following the order they joined the Union. Each episode...