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were filled with highly qualified persons who have been able to take advantage of the unique archival and research material available. Considerable resources and attention continue to be paid to exhibitions and other services for the visiting public (visitations exceed 52,00,000 since the new building opened in 1976). It is expected that over the planning period this balance will be sustained with selected new starts bringing added vitality to the overall program.

The research program combines a mixture of basic scientific research with historical scholarship in the fields of aeronautics, space sciences and technology. The Center for Earth and Planetary Studies has expanded its efforts in arid land remote sensing, comparative planetology, lunar geology and photo imaging. The Department of Space Sciences and Exploration has now been fully staffed and is embarking on several long-term studies, including documenting the Space Telescope. In the Aeronautics Department, the foundation has been laid for a definitive work on aviation history filling a long-perceived void in this area of scholarship. In FY 1982, a number of significant symposia were held, including a 25th anniversary look at the space age. A number of significant publications came out in FY 1982 including: [[underline]] The Bleriot XI: Story of a Classic Aircraft[[/underline]]; [[underline]] The Emergence of the Cabin Monoplane in the U.S.[[/underline]];[[underline]]Red Phoenix: The Rise of Soviet Air Power, 1941-1945[[/underline]];[[underline]]Bringing Aerodynamics to America[[/underline]];[[underline]]The History of Modern Astronomy and Astrophysics[[/underline]], and the [[underline]]Rocket Societies[[/underline]]. Also in preparation are books on ballooning, women in aviation, and flying wings. In FY 1984, funds are being sought to enhance the present modest base supporting the publication program.

The exhibition program continued its high level of success in FY 1982. A number of major exhibits were completed, including: [[underline]]Jacqueline Cochran: World Record Holder[[/underline]], [[underline]]Black Wings: The American Black in Aviation[[/underline]],[[underline]]25 Years of Space Exploration[[/underline]], and [[underline]]Aerial Aircraft Carriers[[/underline]]. Significant progress is also being made on two new gallery exhibits, [[underline]]Stars[[/underline]] and the [[underline]]Golden Age of Flight[[/underline]], scheduled to open in 1983 and 1984, respectively. A new IMAX film entitled "Flyers" opened as did a new Spacearium show entitled "Probe".

The collections management activities of the Museum will continue to be emphasized during the planning period. Considerable progress has been made with the collections inventory in FY 1982 and it is now expected to be completed in 1983. All accessioned artifacts have been inventoried and reconciliation of previously nonaccessioned and misidentified items is well under way. More than 3,500 cubic feet of photographs, drawings, reports, and related material have been sorted and reboxed for storage in a new archives storage facility at the Garber Facility. A prototype system for placing photographs on videodisc has proven successful, and further efforts will be made with this unique system.

The Education Services Division continues to develop programs to convey information to the visiting public. In FY 1982, special emphasis was placed on handicapped visitors. Also, a major program to attract minority students to the Museum was undertaken. Monitoring of the educational content of exhibits and public material continues as a mainstay effort.