English
America 250: The Air & Space Power Story
by The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
America 250: The Air & Space Power Story explores how every U.S. state has helped shape America’s air and space power. In honor of the nation’s 250th anniversary, this series travels state by state, following the order they joined the Union to spotlight one defining, tangible connection to airpower or spacepower in each community. From historic sites and aircraft to launch facilities and innovation hubs, we uncover the people, places, and stories that form a collective tapestry of service, innovation, and sacrifice. Over 50 weeks, we tell the story of American air and space power, one state…
Episodes
Wyoming | America 250: Air and Space Power Story — Ep. 44
4 Nov 2026 · 10 min
This week, we visit Wyoming!
Idaho | America 250: Air and Space Power Story — Ep. 43
28 Oct 2026 · 14 min
This week we visit Idaho! The Gem State hosts the Idaho National Laboratory, which assembles power generation systems for deep-space, planetary, and lunar missions. We also learn about how one young couple helped pioneer the warbird movement in the 1960s as they worked to return their P-40E back…
Washington | America 250: Air and Space Power Story — Ep. 42
21 Oct 2026 · 10 min
This week, we visit Washington!
Montana | America 250: Air and Space Power Story — Ep. 41
14 Oct 2026 · 12 min
This week, we visit Montana!
South Dakota | America 250: Air and Space Power Story — Ep. 40
7 Oct 2026 · 9 min
This week we visit South Dakota! The Mount Rushmore State is home to tremendous air and space power leaders, including Secretary of the Air Force Dr. Troy Meink and Medal of Honor Recipient Joe Foss, who netted 26 aerial victories in the Pacific theater during World War II. The state is also home…
North Dakota | America 250: Air and Space Power Story — Ep. 39
30 Sept 2026 · 13 min
This week we visit North Dakota! During the Cold War, the Roughrider State was a key element facet of America's deterrence architecture thanks to Strategic Air Command and Air Defense Command units at Grand Forks and Minot. Both bases are very active today, along with the 119th Wing of the North…
Colorado | America 250: Air and Space Power Story — Ep. 38
23 Sept 2026 · 10 min
This week, we visit Colorado!
Nebraska | America 250: Air and Space Power Story — Ep. 37
16 Sept 2026 · 13 min
This week we visit Nebraska!
Nevada | America 250: Air and Space Power Story — Ep. 36
9 Sept 2026 · 11 min
This week we visit Nevada! Between 1965 to 1972 every Apollo astronaut that walked on the moon trained at the Nevada Space Proving Grounds within the Nevada National Security Site. Also located in The Silver State is Nellis Air Force Base, the home of the Air Force and Space Force's Weapons…
West Virginia | America 250: Air and Space Power Story — Ep. 35
2 Sept 2026 · 11 min
This week, we visit West Virginia! Learn about the Allegany Ballistics Laboratory which serves as an important center of production for solid rocket motors for ammunition, rockets, and armaments. We also discuss West Virginia State University’s role as the first historically Black college to run a…
Kansas | America 250: Air and Space Power Story — Ep. 34
26 Aug 2026 · 10 min
This week we visit Kansas! Some of the biggest names in aviation have roots in the Sunflower State, including Clyde Cessna, Walter and Olive Ann Beech, Al Mooney, Clyde Stearman, and Bill Lear. During World War II, Wichita was a key site for Boeing’s production of the PT-17 Stearman and the famed…
Oregon | America 250: Air and Space Power Story — Ep. 33
19 Aug 2026 · 10 min
This week we visit Oregon! The Beaver State has often served as a training ground for astronauts in places like Lave Butte, Big Obsidian Lava Flow, Skylight Cave, Crater lake, and Painted Hills. When it comes to aviation, the state was home to famed pilot Tex Rankin, who operated one of the…
Minnesota | America 250: Air and Space Power Story — Ep. 32
12 Aug 2026 · 12 min
This week we visit Minnesota! Five astronauts come from the North Star State, as did Robert Gilruth—the first Director of NASA’s Manned Spacecraft Center, and was a pivotal figure in the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs. On the air side, famed aviator Charles Lindbergh was raised in Minnesota.…
California | America 250: Air and Space Power Story — Ep. 31
5 Aug 2026 · 17 min
This week we visit California! From the dawn of aviation to the present day, the Golden State has played an important role when it comes to training pilots, building aircraft, executing record-setting flights, innovating new technologies, and advancing flight test. On the space side, the state is…
Wisconsin | America 250: Air and Space Power Story — Ep. 30
29 Jul 2026 · 11 min
This week we visit Wisconsin! The Badger State was the home of airpower pioneer Brig Gen Billy Mitchell, top WWII U.S. ace Richard Bong, plus famed astronauts Jim Lovell and Deke Slayton. The state is also the location of EAA's massive Airventure airshow in Oshkosh.
Iowa | America 250: Air and Space Power Story — Ep. 29
22 Jul 2026 · 9 min
This week we visit Iowa! Even though it is landlocked, the Hawkeye State played a big role in naval aviation history. It was the home of Eugene Ely, an early naval aviation pioneer who was the first pilot to takeoff and land from the deck of a ship. Iowa was also the home of Naval Air Station…
Texas | America 250: Air and Space Power Story — Ep. 28
15 Jul 2026 · 11 min
This week we visit Texas! The Lone Star State has played a huge role in advancing American airpower and spacepower. It is a long-standing center for airmen training, going all the way back to World War I, and Texans have built numerous Air Force aircraft--including the B-24, P-51, B-36, F-111,…
Florida | America 250: Air and Space Power Story — Ep. 27
8 Jul 2026 · 12 min
This week we visit Florida! Famous for being the home of Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center, Florida’s Space Coast was the launch site of numerous missions, including the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, and Space Shuttle programs. NASA’s Artemis missions and the Space Force continue to use…
Michigan | America 250: Air and Space Power Story — Ep. 26
1 Jul 2026 · 13 min
This week we visit Michigan! The Great Lakes State—famous for being a center of automobile manufacturing—was also an important hub of aircraft production during World War II. The Ford Motor Company built B-24 Liberators at their Willow Run plant, producing a bomber every hour at its peak in 1944.…
Arkansas | America 250: Air and Space Power Story — Ep. 25
24 Jun 2026 · 8 min
This week we visit Arkansas! The “Natural State” was the home of Louise Thaden, a pioneering female aviator who set multiple flying records, including the women’s altitude record in 1928, plus records for speed and endurance in 1929. Those flying into Bentonville, AR will take off and land at…