Defense contracting giant Northrop Grumman, which helped design and build NASA’s Apollo lunar module, has donated $10 million to the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in D.C.
The museum’s planetarium will be renamed the Northrop Grumman Planetarium.
The donation, through the Northrop Grumman Foundation, helps the Smithsonian reach its $285 million fundraising goal to completely renovate its flagship museum building.
The Air and Space Museum’s planetarium is expanding the number of its scheduled shows, including those free to the public, and those that require $10 tickets. The Smithsonian said the Northrop donation will allow it to continue expanding those shows, as well as bring in new artifacts, exhibitions and amenities to the museum.
“Introducing real-world science and technology through accessible engaging experiences helps ignite the next generation of engineers and scientists. Together with the National Air and Space Museum, we’ll spark curiosity an drive innovation in aerospace and beyond,” said Rob Fleming, president of Northrop Grumman Space Systems.
Last year, the Smithsonian announced major fundraising campaign for all of its museums, with a goal of $2.5 billion, the largest fundraising campaign for a cultural organization in history. It culminates in 2026, with the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Among major donations since the campaign launch are Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, founder of aerospace and spaceflight company Blue Origin, for the Bezos Learning Center and David Rubenstein, former chair of the Smithsonian Board of Regents whose donations to all 15 museums includes funding the National Museum of American History’s Greatest Americans.
The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum is one of the most-visited museum’s in the world. In 2024, it saw 3.1 million visitors at both the main museum on the National Mall and the Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia.
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