Apollo 11: What Ever Happened To Neil Armstrong's Spacesuit?

CHICAGO (CBS) – Every third week in July, Americans of a certain vintage tend to have a similar conversation.

It starts with a question: Did you watch Neil Armstrong walk on the surface of the moon?

One of the greatest achievements in human history happened during the twilight of a summer evening in July, 46 years ago.

Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the Moon. July 1969 AD. We came in peace for all mankind.--Neil Armstrong

That "where were you" discussion, raises another interesting question.

What happened to Armstrong's space suit?

Currently, it is hidden in a climate-controlled storage room owned by the Smithsonian Institution.

The museum wants to change that and recently announced a fundraising campaign to restore the suit, make a full digital record of it and put in on permanent display at the National Air And Space Museum, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission on July 20, 2019.

Smithsonian has launched its first-ever Kickstarter fundraising campaign to pay for the new mission.

"The suit is a part of our cultural heritage, and safeguarding it recognizes its importance in telling the story of a remarkable accomplishment," according to the campaign's Kickstarter page. "And because it is the real thing, seeing the suit provides a tangible way of touching history."

So far, the museum has raised $420,000 of its stated $500,000 goal in just the first few days.

Any money raised above the $500,000 mark will go toward additional, as yet unspecified, features for the new "Destination Moon" gallery at the museum.

The museum said it is raising the money because its federal funding goes mostly toward museum operations, like building maintenance and research.

Kickstarter backers are being offered a series of rewards, depending on their pledge level. For example, $2,500 gets you a Smithsonian flag that actually flew in space!

Two people have pledged $10,000, which affords them the opportunity to view the suit in person at the museum's conservation lab.

There are many more earthly contribution levels as well, starting at just $1.

The three-dimensional digital scanning initiative will allow people to take a self-guided tour and examine the functions of the 21 layers of the suit.

The goal of the "Reboot The Suit" campaign is not to make the suit look like new, but rather to take steps to protect it for future generations to enjoy.