“Last year such marketing ventures grossed $156.3 million, returning $26.7 million in profit to the museums — nearly half the Smithsonian’s unrestricted funds, to be spent any way it pleases. Marketing has become so important that the Smithsonian now knows from surveys that the kids in the school groups that fly through the National Air and Space Museum each have about $5 to $10, and just about that many minutes to spend them. That’s why the gift shop at the world’s most visited museum is stocked with budget-friendly items such as military dog tags and marbles designed to look like planets. That’s why last year 200,000 packs of freeze-dried astronaut ice cream were sold.”