Microsoft Word developer blasts into space
InformationWeek | at | by Mike
Charles Simonyi, a former Microsoft executive who oversaw creation of the company's ubiquitous Microsoft Word software and other Office products, on Thursday blasted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan aboard a Russian-made Soyuz-TMA spacecraft bound for the International Space Station.
The trip is the second into space for Simonyi, a software industry billionaire. As such, it's a record for a private citizen.
"We applaud Charles on his continued commitment and investment to commercial spaceflight," said Eric Anderson, president and CEO of Space Adventures, in a statement. "Having a repeat orbital client demonstrates to the world that participating in a space mission is truly a magnificent and awe-inspiring experience."