Dr. Charles Simonyi’s mission to the International Space Station is the latest destination in a life defined by exploration and discovery.

Born in Budapest, Hungary, Charles left his homeland at age 17 to pursue work as a computer programmer in Copenhagen, Denmark. He moved to the United States in 1968 and earned his B.S. in engineering and mathematics from the University of California at Berkeley and his doctorate in computer science from Stanford University. From 1972 to 1980, Dr. Simonyi worked at Xerox Corporation’s Palo Alto Research Center (PARC), where he created the first WYSIWYG (what-you-see-is-what-you-get) text editor called Bravo.

In 1981, Dr. Simonyi joined a start-up company called Microsoft where his work developing software helped catapult the company to worldwide prominence. In his 20 years there, Dr. Simonyi held the titles of director of application development, chief architect, and distinguished engineer. While at Microsoft, he led the teams that developed Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and other successful software applications.

Dr. Simonyi left Microsoft in August 2002 to found Intentional Software Corporation, a software engineering firm focused on improving the way organizations write software. Dr. Simonyi is president and chief executive officer of the company, which is based in Bellevue, Washington.

Dr. Simonyi’s generous spirit is evident in his foundation, the Charles Simonyi Fund for Arts and Sciences. Major gifts to date include an inaugural donation of $10 million to the Seattle Symphony in 2004, a $3 million gift to the Seattle Public Library, and $1.5 million to the Russian National Orchestra. He also established the $25 million Karoly Simonyi Memorial Endowment Fund at the Institute for Advanced Study in 2005 to honor his late father, a distinguished physicist and author.

Prior to creating his foundation, Dr. Simonyi endowed the Chair for the Public Understanding of Science at Oxford University in 1995 and the Charles Simonyi Professorship in Theoretical Physics in 1997 at the Institute for Advanced Study. Dr. Simonyi also serves on the board of trustees of the Institute for Advanced Study.

Dr. Simonyi gained his American citizenship in 1982. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, elected for his contributions to “widely used productivity software.” He is also a member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. In 2006, he was decorated with the Order of Merit by the President of Hungary.

Charles’ boyhood interest in space resulted in his selection as Hungary’s Jr. Astronaut at age 13, for which he won a trip to Moscow and met one of the first cosmonauts, Pavel Popovich. Today, Dr. Simonyi is a trained pilot in multi-engine aircraft with current licenses in jets and helicopters and more than 2,000 hours of flying time.

As a software pioneer and aviator, Dr. Simonyi brings his passion for flight and engineering to the upcoming 2007 Orbital Spaceflight Scientific Mission. Dr. Simonyi’s goals for his mission are to advance civilian space flight, assist space station research, and involve the world’s youth in the science of space travel. He is convinced that one day, humans will travel and live comfortably in space.

Dr. Simonyi is extremely honored to be a part of this historic mission.