Earlier this week, famous learning and research institution, The Smithsonian, announced that it has joined forces with crowdfunding giant Kickstarter to raise funds for various projects.
Kickstarter declared on its blog:
“Kickstarter is a place that honors creativity, past and present. We celebrate creators who are shaping the future — but we can’t begin to think about what lies ahead without looking back. By supporting the work of preserving and sharing cultural artifacts, we can inspire future innovators to keep making amazing things. That’s why we’re so excited to be working with the Smithsonian Institution and its museums as they launch a series of projects on Kickstarter — our first such partnership.”
The first campaign “Reboot the Suit: Bring Back Neil Armstrong’s Suit” kicked off and sought to raise $500,000. Kickstarter described the project:
“The Smithsonian’s first project, from the National Air & Space Museum, focuses on the spacesuit worn by Neil Armstrong as he stepped off a ladder and became the first person on the moon. The suit is highly fragile, so it’s had to be kept in storage. The museum plans to conserve the suit, digitally scan it, and return it to public display ahead of the moon landing’s 50th anniversary in 2019. Backers of the project can follow that process and get unique rewards, including mission patches, behind-the-scenes tours, and the scan data so they can make their own 3D prints of Neil’s glove.”
Now, just less than a week later, the project has successfully captured its initial goal. The organizer shared:
“In the time it took the Apollo 11 crew to land on the Moon and return safely back to Earth, we have accomplished our goal thanks to your phenomenal response and passionate belief in our mission. We can’t wait to get to work on Neil Armstrong’s spacesuit and bring it back to the Museum, to the world, and most of all, to you. The journey now extends towards further, exciting destinations.”
The project is set to close on August 19th.
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