Well, it’s official: The Smithsonian’s first crowdfunding campaign has officially ended… and it was a success! The organization announced last month that it has teamed up with Kickstarter to help fund a few projects. The first initiative was dedicated to Neil Armstrong’s famous spacesuit.
The Smithsonian previously declared:
“July 2019 marks the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing, a feat so breathtaking in its scope and ambition that it captured the collective imaginations of audiences around the world. At the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, we use the power of real objects to tell stories like this one – stories of the vision, intellect, and courage of men and women who have overcome challenges and pushed boundaries to take the next giant leap for humankind.
“For the Smithsonian’s first-ever Kickstarter campaign, we are proud to announce plans to conserve, digitize, and display Neil Armstrong’s Apollo 11 spacesuit in time for this milestone anniversary. We want to preserve Armstrong’s spacesuit – and the story it tells of its incredible journey – down to the particles of lunar dust that cling to its surface. Just like the Apollo program, we will accomplish this in collaboration of thousands of people across the country and around the world.”
Originally seeking to raise $600,000, the project surpassed its initial goal and captured $719,779 from 9,477 backers. Following the closing of the campaign, the Institute announced:
“Thank you to each and every one of you! 9,477 of you joined us on the amazing journey to #RebootTheSuit. Throughout the past 30 days, we’ve been moved by your generous support. Thank you for your encouragement and for sharing your heartfelt stories. We accomplished this together, and we’ll make sure Neil Armstrong and Alan Shepard’s spacesuits are accessible to inspire generations to come.”
In regards to what’s next for the project, the organization revealed:
“What’s next for #RebootTheSuit? It’s time to get to work! Stay tuned in the coming weeks, months, and years as we share what we discover about these two incredible spacesuits. Please keep looking out for our updates. We’ll also be sending out surveys soon to collect the information needed to deliver your rewards.”
General Dailey, curator Cathleen Lewis, conservator Lisa Young and the folks at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum also sent backers this special Thank You video.
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