Biography Brief: Neil Armstrong

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Transcript:

Neil Armstrong was much more than just an astronaut. He was also a naval aviator, aerospace engineer, test pilot, and even a university professor. What did he do to distinguish himself from other astronauts of his era?

Before becoming an astronaut, Neil Armstrong served as a US Navy pilot, where he flew missions during the Korean Conflict. After the Korean Conflict ended, he served as a test pilot at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics where he logged over 900 flights. During this time, he also earned degrees from both Purdue and the University of Southern California.

Armstrong made his first space flight as command pilot of Gemini 8 in 1966. On this mission he performed the first docking of two spacecraft, along with pilot David Scott. In the process, he became NASA's first civilian astronaut to fly in space.

Armstrong's second spaceflight was as mission commander of the Apollo 11 moon landing on July 20, 1969. On this mission, Armstrong and fellow astronaut Buzz Aldrin descended to the lunar surface and spent two and a half hours exploring the moon. Moments after his left boot touched down on the moon's surface, Armstrong uttered the famous phrase, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

As Armstrong spoke the legendary line, he became the first man to step on the surface of the moon. Television and radio stations around the world were broadcasting the event live. It is estimated that Armstrong's memorable words were heard by 450 million listeners!

For his amazing feat, Armstrong reached a near superhero-like status in the American culture, despite his reserved personality and reluctance to do TV spots and promotional interviews. With the United States winning the race to the moon, he also inspired a long line of young Americans to become space enthusiasts, astronauts, engineers, and astrophysicists. He also helped to create a swell of public support for the NASA program that lasted well into the 1980s.

Across the United States, there are more than a dozen elementary, middle, and high schools named in his honor, along with countless streets, buildings, airports, and other places around the world. Armstrong died on August 25, 2012, at the age of 82, following complications from heart surgery. In a 2010 Space Foundation survey, Armstrong was ranked as the #1 most popular space hero of all time.