SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Museum of Flight (MOF) announced today its new state-of-the-art, 15,500-square-foot space gallery will be named the Charles Simonyi Space Gallery in honor of Charles Simonyi, two-time space traveler, architect of Microsoft Word, and founder of Intentional Software in Bellevue. Simonyi, who gifted $3 million to the $12 million building, also announced today that he is giving MOF – on a long-term loan - the Soyuz-TMA-13 rocket module that carried him back from space in 2009, on his second trip to the International Space Station. Along with Soyuz, Simonyi will be donating a space toilet and other artifacts that were part of his well documented and much followed trips to space.
“This imposing new Charles Simonyi Space Gallery could not have become a reality without Dr. Simonyi’s continued support for The Museum of Flight and his vision about what our future can hold,” said Doug King, President and CEO of The Museum of Flight. “While we are grateful for his monetary contribution, we truly named the space gallery in honor of Charles to recognize his commitment to aerospace education and his tireless enthusiasm for inspiring the next generation of space explorers.”
The Charles Simonyi Space Gallery will be the home of the Full-Fuselage Space Shuttle Trainer (FFT), which will be delivered in NASA’s Guppy airplane in various stages, beginning in June. The FFT is the only one of its kind in the world and is the simulator in which every space shuttle astronaut trained for space flight. In addition to the Shuttle Trainer and the Soyuz module, there will be other rare space artifacts, both permanent and on tour – all part this premier Space Gallery, to engage the next generation of scientists and engineers through hands-on learning.
“The naming of the space gallery is a great honor for me and for my family,” said Simonyi. “I have the highest regard for the Museum of Flight and now that we are at the threshold of a great expansion of civilian spaceflight, I fully support the Museum’s efforts to engage the public on the issue of space exploration with a focus on civilian space: past, present and future.”
“We are so honored by Charles’ generosity,” said MOF Chairman of the Board Michael Hallman, himself a major donor. “His level of monetary and intellectual commitment will help to propel this Museum into an exciting future of continued leadership in educating and inspiring legions of young people to pursue and live their dreams.”
Tomorrow, Friday, Dec. 9, NASA will host its 2011 Future Forum at The Museum of Flight featuring panel discussions covering everything from innovation and discovery to commercial partnerships, education in space flight, and more. Some of the biggest names in space technologies and exploration will take part, as well as several key speakers from NASA, including: Lori Garver, NASA deputy administrator; Joseph Parrish, NASA deputy chief technologist and Philip McAlister, NASA director of commercial spaceflight development.
In addition, on Saturday, Dec. 10 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the space gallery will open to the public with a temporary exhibit which will provide a sneak peek of what the Charles Simonyi Space Gallery will feature when it officially opens in June 2012, after the delivery of the Full Fuselage Space Shuttle Trainer. Each person who brings to the museum a non-perishable food item to benefit Northwest Harvest will receive half off admission for the entire day.
To interview Doug King, President and CEO of The Museum of Flight, Board chair Mike Hallman, or Charles Simonyi, please contact Lee Keller at (206) 799-3805, lee@thekellergroup.com or Mike Bush at (253) 307-3225, mbush@museumofflight.org. To download photos of the Soyuz please go to https://rcpt.yousendit.com/1308606854/973af0fa53ea7459bab223e8a9e1b414.
About Charles Simonyi
Charles Simonyi is a high-tech pioneer and philanthropist as well as a space traveler. He was the architect of Microsoft Word, Excel and other widely-used application programs. He left Microsoft to found Intentional Software, which aims to develop and market computer software for knowledge processing. His passion for science and for space has led him to travel into space twice aboard Soyuz spacecraft, becoming the fifth space tourist and the first ever tourist to fly twice.
About The Museum of Flight
The independent, non-profit Museum of Flight is one of the largest air and space museums in the world, attracting more than 400,000 visitors annually. The museum’s collection includes more than 150 historically significant air- and spacecraft, as well as the Red Barn® — the original manufacturing facility of The Boeing Co. The museum’s aviation and space library and archives are the largest on the West Coast. More than 100,000 individuals are served annually by the museum’s on-site and outreach educational programs. The Museum of Flight is accredited by the American Associations of Museums, and is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution. For more information on The Museum of Flight, visit www.museumofflight.org