Poly Sponsors Apollo XIs Official 50th Anniversary with Tribute to Legendary Transmission that Connected Millions to the Moon Landing
SIMI VALLEY, Calif., July 12, 2019 -- Plantronics, Inc. ("Poly" – formerly Plantronics and Polycom) (NYSE: PLT) celebrates the first moon landing by sponsoring the Apollo XI's Official 50th Anniversary Gala. On July 13, 2019 Poly will join Buzz Aldrin Ventures in commemorating that special mission where both the Astronauts and the teams at Mission Control wore Plantronics headsets, including Commander Neil Armstrong as he stepped onto the moon, where his Plantronics MS50 headset transmitted: "That's one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind." The event will feature Apollo XI moonwalker Buzz Aldrin, as well as Apollo VII's Walt Cunningham, Apollo XVI's Charlie Duke, and other celebrated astronauts, with famed Actor Gary Sinise, entertainers Gloria Gaynor and Tommy James, and other leading luminaries.
The Plantronics MS50 headset formed the hardware portion of the iconic Communications Carrier Assembly (CCA) – known as the "Snoopy" cap – worn by Neil Armstrong, Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin and Michael Collins, providing the headband component, microphones and receivers.
Joe Burton, president and CEO, Poly, will join Dr. Aldrin and Charlie Duke, known as the "voice of Mission Control" for Apollo XI, in delivering remarks to honor the epic achievement of the lunar landing. Poly has created a replica of its Plantronics MS50 headset which will be part of the evening's auction to benefit Buzz Aldrin Ventures. Poly employees who are designing tomorrow's headset technology will be on hand at the event, hosted at the iconic Air Force One Pavilion at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif.
"As a company, we take great pride in knowing that our headset helped carry those historic words from the moon back to millions of people on earth, giving the world a chance to share in the success of the Apollo 11 mission and its heroes," said Joe Burton. "This anniversary is not only a moment to celebrate, but an inspiration to us all to continue to challenge ourselves beyond the limits and hit that next moonshot."
The Plantronics MS50 headset was initially supplied to commercial airline pilots in 1962 before being implanted into an astronaut's helmet by Pacific Plantronics (now Poly). The team created a working microphone design, including noise-cancelling features, which was first used in Mercury missions and throughout the Gemini, Apollo and Skylab missions that followed.
The Plantronics MS50 commercial aviation headset has been used by pilots for more than 40 years and, with approval by the Federal Aviation Administration, a modified version was developed for air-traffic controllers. Since then, Poly has developed a full range of consumer and business communication products and its headsets, desk phones, and audio and video conferencing solutions are used worldwide. Poly has been invited to ring the closing bell of the New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday, July 17, in commemoration of its involvement in the historic moon landing moment.
B-roll will be available upon request after the event.
About Poly
Plantronics, Inc. ("Poly") (NYSE: PLT) is a global communications company that powers meaningful human connection and collaboration. Poly combines legendary audio expertise and powerful video and conferencing capabilities to overcome the distractions, complexity and distance that make communication in and out of the workplace challenging. Poly believes in solutions that make life easier when they work together and with our partners' services. Our headsets, software, desk phones, audio and video conferencing, analytics and services are used worldwide and are a leading choice for every kind of workspace. For more information visit www.Poly.com.
Poly, the propeller design, and the Poly logo are trademarks of Plantronics, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.