Apollo 11 Spacecraft: Smithsonian Starts Kickstarter Campaign To Preserve Neil Armstrong’s Spacesuit

On the 46th anniversary of man's first steps on the moon, the Smithsonian museum launched its first-ever Kickstarter campaign on Monday to fund the preservation and display of the spacesuit Neil Armstrong wore when he became the first man to walk on the moon, according to Time.

"The Apollo 11 moon landing was one of the single greatest achievements in the history of humankind," the campaign states. "Bringing Armstrong's spacesuit back not only helps honor the accomplishments of a generation who brought us from Earth to the moon in less than nine years, it also inspires the next generation of bold space explorers," according to ABC News.

With a goal of raising $500,000 in 30 days, museum officials hope to be able to unveil the suit at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum on July 20, 2019, to mark the 50th anniversary of the historic event, according to the Smithsonian.

The spacesuits that are currently displayed at the Washington, D.C. museum are only replicas of the ones worn on the Apollo 11 spacecraft by Armstrong and fellow astronaut Buzz Aldrin, the second person to step foot on the Moon.

Kickstarter, which has helped crowd-fund 88,000 projects since its inception in 2009, has teamed up with Smithsonian museums for the conservation of Armstrong's spacesuit and is the partnership's pilot project, The Washington Post reported.

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Apollo 11, Anniversary, Spacecraft, Neil Armstrong, Suit, Smithsonian, Moon, Fund, Crowdfunding, Kickstarter, Preserve, Display, Funds, Raise, Money, Museum, Buzz Aldrin