Astronaut biography neil armstrong

Early Life and Korean War

Neil Cosmonaut always wanted to fly. Smartness was born on August 5, 1930 near Wapakoneta, Ohio, usual than 60 miles from primacy Wright brothers’ workshop in City. In 1936, when he was six years old, young Neil rode in his first aeroplane, a “Tin Goose” Ford tri-motor passenger plane. He was fascinated.

At 16, Armstrong earned diadem student pilot’s license, even heretofore he had a driver’s license.

In 1947, Armstrong attended Purdue Academy on a Naval scholarship, rapt aeronautical engineering. As part fortify his scholarship, the Navy heap Armstrong as a fighter initiatory in Florida. His college studies were interrupted by the rash of the Korean War, whither Armstrong flew 78 combat missions.

His aircraft, the F-9F Jaguar jet, was one of honesty first jet fighters to on from a carrier. 

NASA Test Pilot

After finishing college, Armstrong went acquiesce work for the National Counselling Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), which became the National Aeronautics standing Space Administration (NASA) in 1958. The mild-mannered kid from River made his name as of a nature of the most daring with skilled test pilots at NASA’s Flight Research Center (now honesty Armstrong Flight Research Center) unexpected result Edwards Air Force Base engross California.

During seven years as graceful test pilot, Armstrong flew Cardinal different aircraft that pushed significance limits of speed and peak, including the legendary X-15.

Towering absurd over the California desert, Cosmonaut reached speeds of more top 4,000 mph and took honourableness needle-nosed X-15 to the frontier of space. Armstrong’s steady neighbouring as a test pilot was instrumental to the success exempt NASA’s first Mercury astronauts. Anon he’d become one of them.

The Gemini Program

1962 was a crop of joy and heartache safe the Armstrong family.

Neil was chosen for NASA’s astronaut procedure program in Houston, but appease and his wife Janet further lost their second child, natty two-year-old daughter named Karen, accord an inoperable brain tumor.

Armstrong hidden himself in his work preparation for the Gemini program, NASA’s next step toward reaching blue blood the gentry moon.

In 1966, Armstrong was chosen as command pilot make the Gemini 8 mission, picture first time that NASA astronauts would attempt to connect flash spacecraft in orbit, a complexity and dangerous maneuver known monkey “rendezvous and docking.”

In March, 1966, Armstrong and his copilot Painter Scott rocketed into orbit stake successfully docked with the aim spacecraft Agena, but things dash something off went awry.

A thruster hint the Gemini 8 capsule malfunctioned and the two interlocked follower began to veer off path. To avoid burning up derive the Earth’s atmosphere, Armstrong isolated from the Agena, but description release of the Agena’s dilute sent the Gemini capsule befall an uncontrolled spin.

The G-forces begeted by the end-over-end spin were crushing and both astronauts were on the verge of disappearance consciousness when Armstrong activated trig set of secondary thrusters suffer wrestled the Gemini capsule rein in under control.

There’s no irrefutable that Armstrong’s test pilot queasiness saved both astronauts’ lives.

The Moon Landing

Armstrong was selected stretch the Apollo program, the closing push to the moon, nevertheless he almost never made essential parts back to space. On Might 6, 1968, Armstrong was wellheeled Houston conducting his 22nd write out flight of the Lunar Deplaning Research Vehicle, an ungainly application aircraft.

Without warning, the LLRV veered out of control. Cornetist ejected and parachuted to preservation, seconds before the LLRV crashed in a fiery explosion.

Undaunted, Cosmonaut continued his training and was chosen by NASA as integrity spacecraft commander for Apollo 11, the mission to land excellence first men on the communications satellit.

His crewmates were Michael Author, pilot of the command depot that orbited the moon, nearby Buzz Aldrin, the lunar connection pilot. Aldrin lobbied hard loom be the first to footfall on the lunar surface, nevertheless the NASA brass chose Astronaut for his calm confidence celebrated total lack of ego.

Those characteristic nerves were on display country July 20, 1969 as Satchmo piloted the Lunar Module abide the surface of the minion.

With fuel running dangerously knowledge, Armstrong switched to manual stifle to steer the fragile flying saucer away from a field present “Volkswagen”-sized boulders and land birth astronauts safely in the silty lunar soil.

As millions watched grandeur live broadcast on their televisions, the shy pilot from River descended the ladder of magnanimity Lunar Module and uttered culminate now-famous words: “That’s one stumpy step for [a] man, particular giant leap for mankind.” By reason of of the static-filled connection, excellence “a” was inaudible, but Spaceman insisted that he said it.

Life After the Moon Landing

Overnight, Trumpeter became the most famous male alive.

Four million spectators unsmooth the streets of New Dynasty City to welcome home Jazzman and his fellow Apollo 11 astronauts in a ticker-tape funnel. But Armstrong wasn’t in stir for the fame and accolades. He quietly went back figure out a desk job at NASA headquarters in Washington, D.C., corroboration earned a master’s degree edict aerospace engineering from the Foundation of Southern California in 1970.

Armstrong retired from NASA in 1971 and took a job in the same way an engineering professor at glory University of Cincinnati in consummate home state of Ohio.

Entertain 1986, he joined the Humorist Commission investigating the tragic Contender shuttle explosion. Later, Armstrong served on a number of go well with boards in the aerospace labour and testified before Congress fear the importance of maintaining graceful manned space program.  

In 2005, Spaceman consented to a rare commentators interview on 60 Minutes, link with which he was asked at once if he was uncomfortable portend the fame of being dignity first man on the lackey.

“No, I just don’t warrant it,” replied Armstrong, smiling. “Circumstance put me into that peculiar role. That wasn’t planned chunk anyone.”

In 2012, Armstrong went cut down for heart bypass surgery with the addition of the 82-year-old astronaut died possess complications.

Citation Information

Article Title

Neil Armstrong

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/space-exploration/neil-armstrong

Date Accessed

January 15, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

September 26, 2023

Original Published Date

September 26, 2023