Neil Armstrong

Neil Alden Armstrong (born August 5, 1930) is a former American test pilot and astronaut who was the first man to walk on the Moon.

Career as an astronaut

Armstrong was selected by NASA as an astronaut in 1962. He served as the backup command pilot for the Gemini 5 mission in 1965.

Related Topics:
1962 - Gemini 5 - 1965

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He commanded Gemini 8, which achieved the first docking of two orbiting spacecraft, in 1966, but aborted shortly after docking, because of malfunctioning maneuvering thrusters. He was the backup command pilot for the Gemini 11 mission in 1966. He also served as commander of the backup crew for the Apollo 8 lunar orbital mission in 1968.

Related Topics:
Gemini 8 - 1966 - Gemini 11 - Apollo 8 - 1968

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Armstrong narrowly escaped death during training in the crash of a lunar landing research vehicle (LLRV) on May 6, 1969 (see List of space disasters.)

Related Topics:
LLRV - May 6 - 1969 - List of space disasters

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In July, 1969, Armstrong commanded the Apollo 11 lunar landing mission, which included lunar module pilot Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin and command module pilot Michael Collins.

Related Topics:
July - 1969 - Apollo 11 - Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin - Michael Collins

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The Apollo 11 mission was launched from Cape Kennedy, Florida on July 16, 1969. The moon landing, arguably the most astonishing technological achievement in history, took place on July 20, 1969. During the actual lunar landing, Armstrong took manual control of the Lunar Module (LM) Eagle and piloted it away from a rocky area to a safe landing. His first words from the Moon were: "Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed." (The first words on the moon, "Contact light", were spoken by Buzz Aldrin). Several hours later he climbed out of the LM and became the first person to walk on the Moon and said:

Related Topics:
July 16 - 1969 - July 20 - Lunar Module - First person to walk on the Moon

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:"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

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:(, in WAV audio format)

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As spoken, the famous phrase poses a contradiction, as man and mankind are synonyms. Armstrong and NASA defended the original intent to say "...for a man...", variously claiming tape errors, static, and the like. However, the original recording lacks ambiguity at the critical moment. Despite static both before and after the key phrase, the words "for man", with scarcely a pause between, are clearly audible. Armstrong later admitted that despite planning and rehearsal, the line was spoken incorrectly.

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The Apollo 11 crew returned safely to earth on July 24, 1969 to worldwide acclaim.

Related Topics:
July 24 - 1969

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