This spacesuit was worn by astronaut Neil Armstrong, Commander of the Apollo 11 mission, which landed the first man on the moon on July 20, 1969. Credit: Smithsonian Institution
By PAM HARBAUGH
Image by Mark Avino, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution
It seems that the Smithsonian needs to do some conservation work on the astronaut’s “moon suit.” The work will cost about a half-million dollars.
To the left is a photo of the spacesuit worn by astronaut Neil Armstrong, Commander of the Apollo 11 mission, which landed the first man on the moon on July 20, 1969.
To raise those funds, the Smithsonian has turned to Kickstarter to elicit contributions from the public. This is the first time the Institution has turned to this crowd sourcing website for help. So far, it has raised nearly $240,000. The campaign runs through the wee hours of Aug. 19, 2015. Those who contribute, no matter how small of a donation, will receive regular updates on the process.
Here’s a great little video about the campaign:
Hopes are that the suit will go on display at the Smithsonian in 2019 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission. The permanent display will be in the future redesigned “Destination Moon” exhibition. That exhibition will also include a mural by space artist Chesley Bonestell, Alan Shepard’s Freedom 7 Mercury capsule, the Apollo 11 Command Module Columbia, parts of the Apollo Mission Simulator, the Ranger, Surveyor, Lunar Orbiter and much more.
To make a contribution or to find out more about the project, click here.
