Charles Simonyi, creator of Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel, founder of Intentional Software, and Seattle-based philanthropist, came to Whitman College this past week to discuss his experiences in the up and coming area of space tourism.

Space tourism is a term used to categorize space travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. More and more, a simple Google search will produce link after link that promotes a potential flight into space. That same Google search can provide a $20 million estimate for a ticket.

Simonyi compared this to the airline companies of today; though the ticket prices are currently astronomical, the question was raised as to whether space tourism will become a widely accessible trend.

Originally from Hungary, Simonyi moved to the United States to attend the University of California, Berkley. He later  received his Ph.D in Computer Science from Stanford University, and moved to working in software.  A website dedicated to Simonyi’s second travel to space is filled with videos and audio recordings detailing his whole experience, and has endless questions and comments from people all around the world interested in his journeys.

In his lecture on Thursday, Simonyi explained how his combined love of science and love of space led to him becoming the fifth space tourist and the first ever to go to the International Space Station twice. His first trip was in 2007, a few years after the first ever space tourist went on the Russian rocket called Soyuz. He went again in 2008. Simonyi is one of only about 500 people to ever experience space flight. Simonyi addressed his own story, and described everything he went through in the space traveling process. Extensive training, about eight months of it, includes safety and survival courses.

“His descriptions of the way they trained, the spacecrafts they flew on, and how they lived on the space station were fascinating. He has such an interesting story and it was great to hear about his experiences,” said sophomore Katie Gray.