Developer of Word on way to space station - Charles Simonyi - Hungarian-born
Developer of Word on way to space station
Ex-Microsoft Hungarian-born engineer blogs through a lifelong dream
Two days after Charles Simonyi became the fifth civilian to rocket into space, the billionaire and former Microsoft engineer will link up with the International Space Station sometime Monday night, if all goes to plan.
Simonyi blasted off at 10:31 a.m. Pacific time Saturday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, joining two cosmonauts aboard a Soyuz TMA-10 spacecraft.
At Seattle's Museum of Flight, about 200 people, including Simonyi's friends and associates, watched the launch on a large projection screen via NASA video feed. Museum supporters and board members had also been invited.
Simonyi, 58, heads Intentional Software in Bellevue, a company he founded after leaving Microsoft in 2002. But he's spent the last six months training in Russia for his journey to space.
Simonyi
Zoom Paul Joseph Brown / P-I
Charles Simonyi gives a taped greeting Saturday at the Museum of Flight, where an audience watched his launch aboard a Soyuz TMA-10. The Russian craft is to dock today at the International Space Station.
The crowd at Saturday's launch party applauded as the rocket roared into the night sky, casting a blurry orange light. A camera inside the cramped spacecraft showed Simonyi, 58, and the crew. He waved and gave a thumbs up.
"This was like watching the first spaceflight you ever saw. The only thing missing was the black-and-white TV," said Loel Raymond, whose sister-in-law is Simonyi's close friend and former Microsoft colleague.
Raymond's sister-in-law, Renee, traveled to Russia to watch the launch in person, so Raymond and his wife flew to Seattle from Boston to take their young niece and nephew to see the launch from the Museum of Flight.
"You watch so many NASA flights, it gets to be ho-hum," he said. "But this kind of puts the excitement back in spaceflight."
After Simonyi reached orbit, museum president and former astronaut Bonnie Dunbar led a Russian military toast to Simonyi as everyone sipped mimosas.
Simonyi, who joined fledgling Microsoft in 1981 and led its development of Word and Excel, is spending $20 million to $25 million for the voyage. The trip was arranged through Virginia-based Space Adventures Ltd., the only company that sends private citizens into space.
But he plans to do more than observe. He plans to help conduct research, snap photos from space, and speak to students next week through ham radio at three high schools around the country, including Redmond High. He has said one goal in making this trip was to educate students about the science of space travel.
Simonyi has chronicled his experiences on his blog, charlesinspace.com, which he plans to update while in space. On Saturday, he wrote about the cosmonaut tradition of stopping the bus to the rocket tower so that the cosmonauts can urinate on the tires for good luck.
Jamie Loso, 27, of Seattle, who works for Simonyi, said her boss is down to earth and easy to talk to. She brought her parents and boyfriend to the Museum of Flight launch party.
"I just felt a little emotional because I know how excited he is about it," she said.
He's expected to circle the Earth for two days before docking with the space station. Before the blastoff, he got an e-mail from retired astronaut John Glenn, the first American in orbit.
In his last blog before the launch, Simonyi said he slept well and that his vital signs were excellent. He said he'd had fun with family and friends who came to see him at the site.
"They came to see me after visiting the pad with the rocket and reported that there was a brief rain shower and a wonderful rainbow afterwards," he said.
Simonyi was born in Hungary, but earned his doctorate in computer science at Stanford University. He donates millions of dollars through the Charles Simonyi Fund for Arts and Sciences, and is also a strong supporter of the flight museum.
Flight museum president Dunbar, who traveled five times to space and logged 50 days in orbit, said she wished she could be with Simonyi for such a special event.
"I had a friend of mine who told me 30 years ago that anything worth wanting is worth waiting for. This is something that I wanted a long time ago and I waited a whole lifetime for, and Charles has done the same thing, and I'm just so pleased for him."
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ยท Follow Charles Simonyi's adventures in space on his blog at charlesinspace.com
(source from)
Ex-Microsoft Hungarian-born engineer blogs through a lifelong dream
Two days after Charles Simonyi became the fifth civilian to rocket into space, the billionaire and former Microsoft engineer will link up with the International Space Station sometime Monday night, if all goes to plan.
Simonyi blasted off at 10:31 a.m. Pacific time Saturday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, joining two cosmonauts aboard a Soyuz TMA-10 spacecraft.
At Seattle's Museum of Flight, about 200 people, including Simonyi's friends and associates, watched the launch on a large projection screen via NASA video feed. Museum supporters and board members had also been invited.
Simonyi, 58, heads Intentional Software in Bellevue, a company he founded after leaving Microsoft in 2002. But he's spent the last six months training in Russia for his journey to space.
Simonyi
Zoom Paul Joseph Brown / P-I
Charles Simonyi gives a taped greeting Saturday at the Museum of Flight, where an audience watched his launch aboard a Soyuz TMA-10. The Russian craft is to dock today at the International Space Station.
The crowd at Saturday's launch party applauded as the rocket roared into the night sky, casting a blurry orange light. A camera inside the cramped spacecraft showed Simonyi, 58, and the crew. He waved and gave a thumbs up.
"This was like watching the first spaceflight you ever saw. The only thing missing was the black-and-white TV," said Loel Raymond, whose sister-in-law is Simonyi's close friend and former Microsoft colleague.
Raymond's sister-in-law, Renee, traveled to Russia to watch the launch in person, so Raymond and his wife flew to Seattle from Boston to take their young niece and nephew to see the launch from the Museum of Flight.
"You watch so many NASA flights, it gets to be ho-hum," he said. "But this kind of puts the excitement back in spaceflight."
After Simonyi reached orbit, museum president and former astronaut Bonnie Dunbar led a Russian military toast to Simonyi as everyone sipped mimosas.
Simonyi, who joined fledgling Microsoft in 1981 and led its development of Word and Excel, is spending $20 million to $25 million for the voyage. The trip was arranged through Virginia-based Space Adventures Ltd., the only company that sends private citizens into space.
But he plans to do more than observe. He plans to help conduct research, snap photos from space, and speak to students next week through ham radio at three high schools around the country, including Redmond High. He has said one goal in making this trip was to educate students about the science of space travel.
Simonyi has chronicled his experiences on his blog, charlesinspace.com, which he plans to update while in space. On Saturday, he wrote about the cosmonaut tradition of stopping the bus to the rocket tower so that the cosmonauts can urinate on the tires for good luck.
Jamie Loso, 27, of Seattle, who works for Simonyi, said her boss is down to earth and easy to talk to. She brought her parents and boyfriend to the Museum of Flight launch party.
"I just felt a little emotional because I know how excited he is about it," she said.
He's expected to circle the Earth for two days before docking with the space station. Before the blastoff, he got an e-mail from retired astronaut John Glenn, the first American in orbit.
In his last blog before the launch, Simonyi said he slept well and that his vital signs were excellent. He said he'd had fun with family and friends who came to see him at the site.
"They came to see me after visiting the pad with the rocket and reported that there was a brief rain shower and a wonderful rainbow afterwards," he said.
Simonyi was born in Hungary, but earned his doctorate in computer science at Stanford University. He donates millions of dollars through the Charles Simonyi Fund for Arts and Sciences, and is also a strong supporter of the flight museum.
Flight museum president Dunbar, who traveled five times to space and logged 50 days in orbit, said she wished she could be with Simonyi for such a special event.
"I had a friend of mine who told me 30 years ago that anything worth wanting is worth waiting for. This is something that I wanted a long time ago and I waited a whole lifetime for, and Charles has done the same thing, and I'm just so pleased for him."
Related content
ยท Follow Charles Simonyi's adventures in space on his blog at charlesinspace.com
(source from)
Labels: Developer of Word on way to space station - Charles Simonyi - Hungarian-born
Astronaut Aldrin plans space travel lottery
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon, announced plans on Tuesday for a lottery which would send its winner into space in a bid to spread the dream of extraterrestrial travel beyond the super-wealthy.
Aldrin, who followed U.S. astronaut Neil Armstrong onto the moon in July 1969, said the lottery would be run through his ShareSpace Foundation, which he set up to promote interest in science and space travel in schools.
Details of the competition are still sketchy, Aldrin said at a space investment conference on Wall Street on Tuesday, with the legal status of selling lottery tickets still to be resolved.
He said the idea was to offer the top prize of a flight into earth's orbit, but it was not yet decided on what spacecraft. Aldrin added that the winner would have to be over 18 years old and in good physical condition. The prize would not be transferable or salable on eBay.
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April 18, 2007 7:58 AM
Microsoft Billionaire Simonyi Lands After Space Trip (Update1)
By Alex Morales
April 21 (Bloomberg) -- Charles Simonyi, whose two decades as a software developer at Microsoft Corp. made him a billionaire, returned to Earth today, two weeks after blasting off to become the world's fifth space tourist.
Hungarian-born Simonyi, 58, landed in Kazakhstan today at 6:31 p.m. local time, images broadcast live on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's online television station showed. He was accompanied by NASA Commander Michael Lopez- Alegria and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Tyurin, who had spent a record 215 days at the International Space Station.
``It's good to back in the Earth,'' Simonyi said after being helped out of the spacecraft. ``It wasn't as difficult as I could have expected,'' he said of the landing.
The crew's return to Earth was delayed a day and the landing site was moved southwards to a site about 220 miles (350 kilometers) southwest of the Kazakh capital, Astana, in order to avoid wet ground, NASA said. They are under medical supervision while adapting to the Earth's gravity.
During his stay in space, the longest by a tourist, Simonyi spoke live with high school students via amateur radio, answered medical questionnaires and tested camera equipment to see the effects of radiation.
``I'm getting really used to it, I'm gaining skills, I can fly, I can prepare drinks very well without spilling it, and I'm making myself useful,'' Simonyi told U.S. mission control on April 19, according to audio posted on his Web site. ``I wish I could use this experience in future space flight.''
Volcanic Eruption
Simonyi, a U.S. citizen since 1982, said in an April 3 interview that he paid $20 million to $25 million to Arlington, Virginia-based Space Adventures Ltd. for the trip to space. He is the fifth millionaire space tourist.
From above, Simonyi observed terrestrial phenomena including a volcanic eruption on the French island of Reunion in the Indian Ocean and an impact crater in northern Canada.
The first tourist was Dennis Tito, an American investment adviser who went in 2001. South African Internet millionaire Mark Shuttleworth followed in 2002, Gregory Olsen, chief executive officer of Princeton, New Jersey-based Sensors Unlimited Inc. flew in 2004, and Anousheh Ansari, the Iranian-born chairwoman of Prodea Systems Inc., visited the station last year.
Simonyi worked at Microsoft for more than 20 years from 1981, leading teams of programmers that developed Microsoft Word and Excel software. He left in August 2002 to start Intentional Software Corp., and is still president and chief executive officer there. He ranks 891st on the Forbes list of billionaires, with a $1 billion fortune.
Space Adventures has 12 potential tourists lined up for flights to the International Space Station, Interfax said today, citing Christopher Faranetta, the company's vice president for orbital spaceflight, today at Russian mission control in Korolyov, near Moscow. The next tourist will be announced in the coming weeks, the newswire said.
To contact the reporter on this story: Alex Morales in London at amorales2@bloomberg.net
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April 21, 2007 8:03 PM
Space tourist Simonyi says trip to orbit was like camping
By SCOTT GUTIERREZ
P-I REPORTER
His senses and balance still recalibrating from weightlessness, Medina billionaire Charles Simonyi said Tuesday his stay aboard the International Space Station was a little like camping.
Simonyi spoke by telephone from Star City, Russia, where he continued rehabilitation after his trip as the world's fifth space tourist. He returned to Earth on Saturday, along with a Russian cosmonaut and an American astrona
"I feel great. It's the third day of rehabilitation, and I got my balance back and I've been swimming," he said from Russia's spaceflight headquarters.
Docking with the space station after two days circling Earth in a Soyuz space capsule was surreal, he said.
"All of a sudden you're in the proximity of this strange stage. I describe it like a stage. It's very theatrical, with incredible lighting. We arrived just at sunset and the light was this incredible purple," he said
When asked how it compared to space movies such as "2001," he replied: " '2001' was very conventional with a big wheel rotating, but this is '2001' squared."
Once aboard, it was like joining old friends for a camping trip, he said. His sleeping bag levitated in zero gravity and swung like a hammock, he said. Also akin to camping, there wasn't much room.
The former Microsoft engineer paid $25 million for his two-week stay in orbit, plus the six months of training with cosmonauts to prepare him. The trip was provided through Virginia-based Space Adventures Ltd.
Simonyi said seeing Earth from orbit humbled him.
"The colors on the horizon are amazing. You can see the layers in the atmosphere almost like a rainbow," he said. "Seeing how big it is and how quiet and majestic it is, I just have this optimism and hope."
During his trip, he communicated with high school students, conducted research and dined on a gourmet meal prepared by Martha Stewart, who Simonyi is reportedly involved with romantically.
He was happy that he never got "space sickness" -- severe dizziness or nausea caused by the body's senses adjusting to weightlessness.
It was difficult knowing he would soon return to Earth after his last night of sleep in space.
"I could have gone for two more weeks, no problem," he said.
Simonyi expects to leave Star City today and will go to his native Hungary to visit dignitaries there.
"It's going to be a busy, busy weekend," he said.
Mr. Simonyi visits Budapest & Hungary next week, after returning from the space.
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April 28, 2007 1:37 PM
Earth looks beautiful from outer space, says Hungarian-born space tourist in Budapest
Budapest, April 30 (MTI)
The Earth looks beautiful, grandiose and quiet from outer space which filled me with optimism, Hungarian-born space tourist Charles Simonyi told reporters in Budapest on Monday.
Speaking as guest of Red Cross President Gyorgy Habsburg after a two-week space trip earlier this month, Simonyi described the first glimpse at the blackness of space and the sparkling blue colour of the Earth an unforgettable experience. He said seeing the Sun rise and set 16 times a day and experiencing weightlessness were also hard to forget.
Describing how he spent a day he said it was quite similar to a regular day on Earth, he got up, washed and worked all day, then went to bed exhausted, which was at six o'clock in the morning, so after a while he had lost track of what day it was.
Software billionaire Simonyi, who left Hungary in 1966, pledged to write a book to share his experiences about the trip, with which he, the fifth space tourist, sought to enhance civilian space travels and scientific research in orbit, as well as promote sciences among children.
Concluding the meeting Simonyi presented the three winning pupils at a Red Cross drawing competition their works he had taken to the international space station, where had them stamped.
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April 30, 2007 5:47 PM
President honours Hungarian-born space tourist
Budapest, April 30 (MTI) - President Laszlo Solyom has awarded a high state honour to Hungarian-born U.S. space tourist Charles Simonyi in recognition of his merits in enhancing the international reputation of Hungary and Hungarians.
The Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary was granted to the 58-year-old software engineer, who made a two-week trip to outer space earlier this month, on the prime minister's initiative.
Presenting the honour in Budapest on Monday, Solyom noted some crucial stages of Simonyi's career, including winning a Hungarian children's competition in space research and developing Microsoft Word and Excel programmes in the United States.
The president thanked Simonyi for speaking Hungarian during his trip to space aboard a Russian Soyus and founding a scholarship for Hungarian scientists.
Simonyi said he was deeply touched by the honour and the fact that Hungarians had been following his career and space trip so closely.
The businessman gave a Hungarian tricolour, which was stamped on board the space station, as a present to Solyom.
Charles Simonyi was the fifth tourist and the second Hungarian to have blast off into space. His only Hungarian predecessor, Bertalan Farkas, made a space trip in 1980 as part of the Soviet-sponsored Intercosmos programme.
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April 30, 2007 5:48 PM
James Wolfensohn Retires as Chairman of Institute Board After Twenty-One Years of Leadership
Long-Time Trustee Charles Simonyi to Become Chairman in 2008
Princeton, N.J, May 7, 2007 - James D. Wolfensohn will step down as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Institute for Advanced Study in October 2007 after twenty-one years of distinguished service to the institution. Under Mr. Wolfensohn's leadership, the Institute has sustained and enhanced its standing as one of the world's leading centers for intellectual inquiry and theoretical research. He will be succeeded for one year by Board Vice-Chairman Martin L. Leibowitz, who will serve as interim Chairman before Charles Simonyi, current President of the Corporation, officially begins as Chairman in October 2008. Mr. Wolfensohn will become Chairman Emeritus effective October 2007. Regarding the transition, Mr. Wolfensohn noted, "It is always great for an organization to improve its leadership, and with Marty Leibowitz and with Charles Simonyi, the Institute takes a step up and a step forward. I am thrilled to be succeeded by two such extraordinary people."
Mr. Wolfensohn, together with his wife Elaine, has been an energetic supporter of the Institute's IAS/Park City Mathematics Institute (PCMI), and has also led building projects such as Simonyi Hall (1993) and Bloomberg Hall (2002), which respectively house the Institute's Schools of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. The Institute's lecture and performance hall, Wolfensohn Hall, was dedicated in 1993 in honor of Mr. Wolfensohn, and is a reflection of both his long-standing commitment to the Institute, and his own personal love of music. Mr. and Mrs. Wolfensohn have been actively engaged in the Institute's academic and community activities, and will continue their involvement after Mr. Wolfensohn steps down as Chairman.
Charles Simonyi, President and Chief Executive Officer of Intentional Software Corporation, will succeed Mr. Wolfensohn as Chairman of the Institute's Board in October 2008. Dr. Simonyi has been a Trustee of the Institute since 1997 and has served as President of the Corporation since 2003. Dr. Simonyi's involvement with the Institute began in 1996, and over the years he has supported a range of academic activities, including endowing the Charles Simonyi Professorship in Theoretical Physics, currently held by physicist Edward Witten of the Institute's School of Natural Sciences. Dr. Simonyi has also provided substantial funding for the Institute's School of Mathematics, helping to ensure the School's financial independence to select the very best Members, many from abroad. Simonyi Hall, which houses the School of Mathematics, was dedicated in May 2002 in recognition of Dr. Simonyi's participation in the life of the Institute community and his commitment to the work that takes place here.
In 2005, the Institute received an unrestricted cash gift of $25 million from the Charles Simonyi Fund for Arts and Sciences, which was the largest donation since the founding of the Institute. The gift was named The Karoly Simonyi Memorial Endowment Fund, in honor of Dr. Simonyi's late father, an esteemed professor of electrical engineering. Since 2001, he has served as Chairman of the Board's Academic Affairs Committee, and also serves as Co-Chairman of the Endowment Campaign Task Force. In his two decades with Microsoft, Dr. Simonyi, who earned a B.S. in engineering and mathematics and his Ph.D. in computer science, led the development of such well-known programs as Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Multiplan and others. On April 7, 2007, Dr. Simonyi, who was born in Hungary, fulfilled a lifelong dream and became the fifth civilian to travel into space when he launched on a Soyuz spacecraft. He spent twelve days aboard the International Space Station and returned to Earth on April 21.
Of Dr. Simonyi, Peter Goddard stated, "The Institute and its work have already benefited in very many ways from Charles Simonyi's close involvement. With a decade of experience on the Board, his broad and deep understanding of science and scholarship, and outstanding achievements in business and as a philanthropist, he will undoubtedly provide exceptional leadership to the Institute in the future."
Commenting on his appointment, Dr. Simonyi said, "The Founders of the Institute created a unique structure that has proved to be both enduring and exceptionally fruitful. I will continue with vigor the work of Jim and Marty in the spirit of the Founders. Our Board is composed of especially talented people and I will consider my top task ensuring the continued effective participation of the Board in support of the Institute's mission. I believe that listening to the Director, the Faculty and Members, and participating in the intellectual life of this Institute, as well as related Institutes worldwide, are all integral parts of this role."
source: Institute for Advanced Study
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May 10, 2007 9:19 PM