Smithsonian curator and author Valerie Neal shares how women astronauts made space for themselves in a male-dominated field
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SEATTLE, Feb. 17, 2026—On Feb. 28, a book talk with author Valerie Neal looks at American women in space. Neal’s new book, On a Mission: The Smithsonian History of U.S. Women Astronauts illuminates the epic journeys of women who made space for themselves in a male-dominated field. Spanning 45 years, the book offers a culturally insightful look at the experiences of 61 women astronauts, the challenges they’ve faced and their distinctive stories. A book signing will follow the 2 p.m. talk. The program is free for Museum Members and with Museum admission. Author Valerie Neal Dr. Valerie Neal is a curator emerita in the Department of Space History at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum. She joined the Museum as a curator in 1989 and was responsible for human spaceflight artifact collections from the Space Shuttle era and International Space Station, most prominently the orbiter Discovery. Image: Astronauts Chrstina Koch (left) and Jessica Meir prepare for their first spacewalk together inside the U.S. Quest airlock. NASA photo. Book cover illustration with book cover courtesy The Museum of Flight. |
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Founded in 1965, the independent, nonprofit Museum of Flight is one of the largest air and space museums in the world, annually serving over 600,000 visitors. The Museum’s collection includes more than 160 historically significant airplanes and spacecraft, from the first fighter plane (1914) to today’s 787 Dreamliner. Attractions at the 23-acre, 5-building Seattle campus include the original Boeing Company factory, the NASA Space Shuttle Trainer, Air Force One, Concorde, Lockheed Blackbird and Apollo Moon rockets. In addition to the Seattle campus adjacent to King County International Airport, the Museum also has its 3-acre Restoration Center and Reserve Collection at Paine Field in Everett (not currently open to the public). With a foundation of aviation history, the Museum is also a hub of news and dialogue with leaders in the emerging field of private spaceflight ventures. The Museum’s aviation and space library and archives are the largest on the West Coast. More than 150,000 individuals are served annually by the Museum’s onsite and outreach educational programs. The Museum of Flight is accredited by the American Association of Museums, and is an Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution. The Museum of Flight is located at 9404 E. Marginal Way S., Seattle, Exit 158 off Interstate 5 on Boeing Field halfway between downtown Seattle and Sea-Tac Airport. The Museum is open every day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Museum admission for adults is $29. Youth 5 through 17 are $21, youth 4 and under are free. Seniors 65 and over $25. Groups of ten or more: $23 per adult, $16 per youth, $21 per senior. Admission is free from 5 to 9 p.m. on the first Thursday of every month. The Museum offers free quarterly Sensory Day programs, $3 admission through the Museums for All program, plus military and other discounts. Parking is always free. There is a full lunch menu café operated by McCormick & Schmick’s. For general Museum information, please call 206-764-5720 or visit www.museumofflight.org. |