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In a few more hours time, Hungarian-American Charles Simonyi becomes the next man to go into space on April 6-7 (today), after the last private space “tourist”/ explorer Anousheh Ansari. Charles is a legend for developing the Microsoft Word and Excel applications that have gone on to revolutionize the working lives of millions of people (or, if you are a sceptic, to “terrorize” thousands of Word-and-Excel-slaves in corporate cubicles worldwide).

Charles will be another ex-Microsoftie, after Paul Allen of SpaceShipOne fame, who has taken up the space frontier as his new challenge.

Like Anousheh, Charles will be blogging his adventures to communicate his experience and thoughts with children over the world. I really like how such a simple act will inspire young kids to envision a future for mankind in space when they grow up. Check out his blog Charles In Space from tomorrow onwards.

A ham radio enthusiast, Charles will also be attempting to connect with several schools during time in orbit. He is also reportedly dating Martha Stewart who will designing what could be the fanciest meal in space ever (via CNN):

… quail roasted in Madiran wine, duck breast confit with capers, shredded chicken parmentier, apple fondant pieces, rice pudding with candied fruit, and semolina cake with dried apricots.

I wonder if Martha intends to freeze-dry them. Hmm..

For those who are into trivia, Wikipedia says that the next in line for the space tourism customer queue includes a Japanese, Daisuke Enomoto, whose original flight plan was taken over by Anousheh due to his health problems.