There are few true pioneers throughout history that have changed the world and inspired so many as the late great astronaut Neil Armstrong. He has had an immense impact on the entire population of the world with his admirable career that urges anyone who dares to dream to find the confidence in making their far-fetched dreams come true. Armstrong, who recently passed at the age of 82, is amongst those few truly inspiring individuals of our time.
The impact that Armstrong, the first man on the moon, has had on space exploration is especially evident and revered in these last few weeks with the resurgence of interest in space travel with the Curiosity rover landing on Mars. Personally, I know the thrill of watching the live stream of Curiosity’s descent on the red planet, but I imagine that there was a different level of excitement and anxiety felt from tuning into Apollo 11’s landing on the moon. It was the first revolutionizing space expedition of its kind that was truly “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” and Armstrong was at the forefront of the mission.
What’s perhaps one of the most admirable qualities about the famed astronaut is that through it all and in the aftermath of his return to Earth, Armstrong remained valiant and humble. “I am, and ever will be, a white socks, pocket protector, nerdy engineer,” said the heroic astronaut in 2000. “And I take a substantial amount of pride in the accomplishments of my profession.” In a statement following the pioneering figure’s passing, Armstrong’s family said “Honor his example of service, accomplishment and modesty, and the next time you walk outside on a clear night and see the moon smiling down at you, think of Neil Armstrong and give him a wink.”
Top photo: Neil Armstrong is seen aboard Apollo 11 on July 20, 1969, the day he became the first man to walk on the moon, and when he appeared before the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology about the future of human space flight in Washington on September 22, 2011. (NASA, The New York Times)
An undated NASA handout photo of Neil Armstrong with an X-15 aircraft at the Dryden Flight Research Center in California. (NASA via The New York Times)
Aldrin and Armstrong practice lunar surface activities at the Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston before the mission. Apollo II was the first U.S. space mission designed to put two astronauts on the Moon and return them safely to Earth. (NASA)
Astronauts David R. Scott, pilot, and Neil A. Armstrong, command pilot, sit in their Gemini 8 spacecraft atop their booster at Cape Kennedy, March 16, 1966. One of the objectives of the scheduled three-day mission was to rendezvous and dock with the Gemini Agena target vehicle (GATV). (NASA)
Mark Armstrong reaches out to attract his dad’s attention after Gemini 8 spacecraft pilots Armstrong and Scott arrived back home in Houston, on March 21,1966. Mrs. Armstrong holds the youngster as Donald K. Slayton, assistant director of Manned Spacecraft Center flight crew operations, waits to congratulate Armstrong. (Associated Press)
Apollo 11 astronauts Commander Neil A. Armstrong, Michael Collins and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr. wave in Cape Kennedy on July 17, 1969 as they walk from the Manned Spacecraft Operations Building to their transfer van which took them to the moon spacecraft. (Bill Smith/Associated Press)
NASA astronauts Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Edwin Aldrin, the crew of Apollo 11, pose in May 1969. (NASA)
Apollo 11 astronauts Commander Neil A. Armstrong, Michael Collins and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr. wave in Cape Kennedy on July 17, 1969 as they walk from the Manned Spacecraft Operations Building to their transfer van which took them to the moon spacecraft. (Bill Smith/Associated Press)
A footprint left by one of the astronauts is seen in the soft, powdery surface of the moon. (NASA)
Armstrong and Aldrin plant the U.S. flag on the lunar surface on July 20, 1969. NASA)
Armstrong works at the base of the lunar module on the moon on July 20, 1969. (NASA via The New York Times)
Armstrong and Aldrin plant the U.S. flag on the lunar surface on July 20, 1969, and a footprint left by one of the astronauts is seen in the soft, powdery surface of the moon. (NASA)
Ticker tape, tissue and confetti greet the Apollo 11 astronauts on Chicago’s LaSalle Street, August 13, 1969. (Associated Press)
Armstrong, with his wife Jan and son Eric, ride in an automobile parade in Wapakonta, Ohio after making a return to his hometown, April 13, 1966, after the flight of Gemini 8. (Julian C. Wilson/Associated Press)
People sit on the roof ledge of the Auglaize County Courthouse to cheer hometown hero Armstrong during a parade honoring him for his moon walk, in Wapakoneta, Ohio on September 6, 1969. (Associated Press)
Armstrong receives the first Congressional Space Medal of Honor from President Jimmy Carter, assisted by Captain Robert Peterson. (NASA)
Armstrong, a Purdue alum, speaks near a statue of himself at the dedication ceremony of the Neil Armstrong Hall of Engineering at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, on October 27, 2007. (Michael Conroy/Associated Press)
via [Associated Press, Click/Hear]