The crew and the craft were picked up by the U.S.S. Returning on July 24, 1969, the Apollo 11 craft came down in the Pacific Ocean west of Hawaii. Neil Armstrong inside the Lunar Module on July 20, 1969. They also took photographs, including their own footprints. For about two and a half hours, Armstrong and Aldrin collected samples and conducted experiments. He said, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind," as he made his famous first step on the moon. Collins remained on the Command Module.Īt 10:56 p.m., Armstrong exited the Lunar Module. Serving as the mission's commander, Armstrong piloted the Lunar Module to the moon's surface on July 20, 1969, with Aldrin aboard. The trio was launched into space on July 16, 1969. "Buzz" Aldrin, he was part of NASA's first manned mission to the moon. Moon LandingĪrmstrong faced an even bigger challenge in 1969. They landed in the Pacific Ocean nearly 11 hours after the mission's start and were later rescued by the U.S.S. During this maneuver, however, they experienced some problems and had to cut their mission short. This was the first time two vehicles had successfully docked in space. While in orbit, they were able to briefly dock their space capsule with the Gemini Agena target vehicle. He and fellow astronaut David Scott were launched into the earth's orbit on March 16, 1966. He and his family moved to Houston, Texas, and Armstrong served as the command pilot for his first mission, Gemini VIII. In 1962, Armstrong entered the NASA astronaut program. He tested many high-speed aircraft, including the X-15, which could reach a top speed of 4,000 miles per hour. For this government agency, he worked in a number of different capacities, including serving as a test pilot and an engineer. Joining NASAĪ few years later, Armstrong joined the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), which later became the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). He began seeing active service in the Korean War two years later and went on to fly 78 combat missions during this military conflict.Īfter earning his release from active duty in 1952, Armstrong returned to college. In 1949, as part of his scholarship, Armstrong trained as a pilot in the Navy. In 1947, Armstrong began his studies in aeronautical engineering at Purdue University on a U.S. Military ServiceĪrmstrong developed a fascination with flight at an early age and earned his student pilot's license when he was 16. Armstrong died shortly after undergoing heart surgery in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 2012. He was spacecraft commander for Apollo 11, the first manned lunar mission, and became the first man to walk on the moon. Armstrong entered the astronaut program in 1962, and was command pilot for his first mission, Gemini VIII, in 1966. After serving in the Korean War and then finishing college, he joined the organization that would become NASA. Neil Armstrong was born in Wapakoneta, Ohio, on August 5, 1930.
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