“That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” … eleven simple words that changed the world and became the mantra of the Apollo Space Program. At the center of America’s pursuit of space exploration is the ambassador to the great unknown, Neil Armstrong.
Armstrong’s education and military career were tailored for a career as an astronaut. While earning degrees in aeronautical and aerospace engineering, Armstrong became a Naval Aviator, flying almost 80 missions in the Korean War. He left the Navy at the age of 30 and became a research test pilot with NASA (then known as the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, or NACA), and officially joined the NASA Astronauts Corps in 1962.
Heralded as the first man to step foot on the moon as part of the Apollo 11 space crew on July 21,1969, the moon landing was the culmination of Armstrong’s second voyage into space. (His first flight marked a NASA milestone as well, when Armstrong, the command pilot aboard Gemini 8, became the first U.S. civilian to fly in space on March 16, 1966. The Gemini 8 mission was aborted due to an in-space system failure.) The Apollo 11’s legendary three man crew – Armstrong as Commander, along with Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins – spent eight days in space. Armstrong and Aldrin’s moon exploration (Collins remained inside the lunar module), broadcast live to over 450 million people throughout the world, lasted only 2 hours and 36 minutes. Its impact, however, continues to resonate today.
Feted as heroes upon their return, Armstrong and the Apollo 11 crew embarked on a 45-day “Giant Leap” tour around the world. Armstrong resigned from NASA in August of 1971 and began teaching in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Cincinnati. He consulted on NASA investigations, and eventually became a spokesman for many American-based companies, a practice he continues today. Armstrong has been honored for his extraordinary – out of this world, even – accomplishments, receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Congressional Space Medal of Honor, and a place in the Astronaut Hall of Fame.
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