Neil Armstrong

Neil Armstrong was an American astronaut and aeronautical engineer who became the first person to walk on the Moon. He was also a naval aviator, test pilot, and university professor. His historic steps during the Apollo 11 mission in July 1969 represented a monumental achievement for the United States in the Space Race against the Soviet Union.

Early life and education

Born in Wapakoneta, Ohio, he developed an early fascination with aviation, earning his student pilot's license before his driver's license. He studied aeronautical engineering at Purdue University under the Holloway Plan, a scholarship program requiring service in the United States Navy. His studies were interrupted by the Korean War, after which he returned to Purdue University to complete his Bachelor of Science degree in 1955. He later earned a Master of Science in aerospace engineering from the University of Southern California.

Military service

Armstrong was called to active duty with the United States Navy in 1949 and became a fully qualified naval aviator the following year. During the Korean War, he flew 78 combat missions from the aircraft carrier USS *Essex* as part of Fighter Squadron 51. He was shot down once and received the Air Medal with two gold stars, among other decorations. After leaving active duty in 1952, he remained in the Naval Reserve until 1960.

NASA career

Armstrong joined the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), the predecessor to NASA, in 1955 as a test pilot at the Lewis Research Center before transferring to the High-Speed Flight Station at Edwards Air Force Base. There, he flew numerous high-performance aircraft, including the North American X-15. He was selected for the NASA Astronaut Corps in 1962 as part of the second group, known as the "New Nine". His first spaceflight was as command pilot of Gemini 8 in 1966, where he performed the first successful docking of two spacecraft in orbit with an Agena target vehicle.

Apollo 11 mission

In early 1969, he was selected as commander of Apollo 11, with crewmates Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin. The Saturn V rocket launched from Kennedy Space Center on July 16. On July 20, Armstrong manually piloted the Lunar Module *Eagle* to a safe landing on the Sea of Tranquility with only seconds of fuel remaining. He then descended the ladder and stepped onto the lunar surface, declaring, "That's one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind." He and Aldrin spent about two and a half hours outside the spacecraft, deploying scientific experiments and collecting samples of lunar soil.

Post-NASA life and legacy

After Apollo 11, he worked at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., as Deputy Associate Administrator for Aeronautics. He left NASA in 1971 to become a professor of aerospace engineering at the University of Cincinnati until 1979. He served on the boards of several corporations, including Gates Learjet and United Airlines, and was vice chairman of the Rogers Commission investigating the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. A notoriously private person, he avoided public appearances but received numerous honors, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal. He passed away in 2012 following complications from cardiovascular surgery. His legacy as a pioneering aviator and a humble hero of one of humanity's greatest adventures endures globally.

Category:American astronauts Category:Apollo program astronauts Category:American military personnel of the Korean War Category:1930 births Category:2012 deaths