Charles Simonyi, Ph.D., will take several contest-winning drawings, created by Hungarian children, to space as Space Adventures revealed. The contest, held by the Hungarian Red Cross, called for children in over 50 schools across the country to submit drawings that depict the organization helping people on and off the planet. The three prize-winning drawings, which were chosen from over 600 submissions, will travel with Hungarian-born Dr. Simonyi when he launches to the International Space Station (ISS) on April 7 onboard a Soyuz TMA spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Dr. Simonyi will stamp the drawings during his 10-day stay onboard the ISS and will return the pictures to the artists during a ceremony to be held after his flight.

Dr. Simonyi said, I look forward with great anticipation to my upcoming spaceflight and am honored to support the Hungarian Red Cross and to involve children from Hungary and around the world in the wonder of space travel.

Eric Anderson, president and CEO of Space Adventures, the company which organized the spaceflights for the world`s first and only private space explorers, said, We, at Space Adventures, are proud to announce Charles` participation in the Hungarian Red Cross contest and are inspired by his dedication to opening up the final frontier to space enthusiasts of all ages.

The committee which chose the winning pictures was composed of the first Hungarian in space, cosmonaut Bertalan Farkas, Hungarian painter and graphic artist, Izolda Macskassy, and president of the Hungarian Red Cross, Georg von Habsburg.