A new Kickstarter project aims to, essentially, kickstart Neil Armstrong’s spacesuit. It may have been one giant leap for mankind, but it was pretty significant for the suit, as it was made from pretty flimsy materials, designed specifically for short-term use.
The project is a part of a larger partnership announced recently between the National Air and Space Museum of Washington and the Smithsonian Institution with the Kickstarter. Their plan is to launch a series of crowdfunding projects to help conserve important not only historical artefacts.
This Apollo 11 spacesuit conservation project is the first in this series. To keep the suit from essentially falling apart, the project wishes to raise a generous sum of $500,000. This money will go into conserving the suit, into building a climate-control display case, and its final aim is to digitize through 3-D scanning the suit.
The project was launched simultaneously with the celebration of the 46th anniversary of the Apollo 11 project, which landed the first men on the Moon, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, who went there along with their pilot Michael Collins.
The crowdfunding initiative was named #RebootTheSuit and is meant to honor the memory of Neil Armstrong, who passed away back in August 2012.
The Smithsonian Institute is already a big project funded by the federal money. Each year, this largest cultural complex in the world, gets $800 million from the feds. Kickstarter officials believe that the Smithsonian partnership is a unique one, as it does not compete with other fundraising projects on the website.
In the seven year project that just started with the crowdfunding effort #RebootTheSuit, the great aim is to raise $1.5 billion to fund a great many other projects. Those who donate for the conservation of Neil Armstrong’s Apollo 11 clothes will have the unique opportunity of going to the NASM to observe the way the scientists and museum curators will go about this project. Other rewards include posters of the suit, or 3D models of one of the hands of the suits.
Besides the Kickstarter campaign, the Smithsonian Institute is also reaching out to private donors which previously contributed to other important projects.
Due to its deteriorating condition, the Apollo 11 suits has been stored away from display since 2006. If #RebootTheSuit will not be a success and will not raise $500,000 in its 30 day deadline, all the money will go back to the donors, like in all Kickstarter projects.
Image source: washingtonpost.com
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