Smithsonian Increases Goal for Spacesuit Crowdfunding Effort

A Kickstarter campaign by the Smithsonian Institution to help conserve and display the spacesuit Neil Armstrong used during his famous walk on the moon has reached its goal in only five days.

It was the suit seen around the world when Neil Armstrong became the first human on the surface of the moon. The museum aims to conserve, digitize and display Shepard’s suit. If the crowdfunding campaign is successful, which looks likely, the suit will be put on display temporarily for the 50th anniversary of the moon landing in 2019.

The campaign was kicked off on July 20, 2015, the date that marked the 46th anniversary of a human’s arrival on Earth’s natural satellite.

The Smithsonian is now trying to raise $500,000 in order to make its dream a reality.

By the end of sixth day after its launch, the campaign named “Reboot the Suit” surpassed its initial goal by more than $30,000, even as 24 days of the crowdfunding campaign were still left. The extra money will go toward conserving, digitizing, and displaying the space suit Alan Shepard wore during the first American space flight in 1961.

You can donate to the project here.

In a blog post, Equity Net said that supporters of the Reboot the Suit campaign are qualified to receive rewards when it comes to their tax deductible donations that range from digital posters to Emil Buehler Conservation Lab tours, which is located at Chantilly, Virginia’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center.