Neil Alden Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon and an enduring icon of the the space age for taking "one giant leap for mankind," died today after complications from cardiovascular surgery. He was 82.
"We are heartbroken to share the news that Neil Armstrong has passed away," his family said in a statement. "Neil was our loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, and friend.
"Neil Armstrong was also a reluctant American hero who always believed he was just doing his job. He served his nation proudly, as a navy fighter pilot, test pilot, and astronaut. He also found success back home in his native Ohio in business and academia, and became a community leader in Cincinnati.
Neil Armstrong's official NASA portrait.
(Credit: NASA)
"He remained an advocate of aviation and exploration throughout his life and never lost his boyhood wonder of these pursuits."
On July 20, 1969, Armstrong stepped off the footpad of the Apollo 11 lunar lander Eagle and onto the surface of the moon, uttering 11 words -- 12 if you include a dropped or garbled "a" -- that instantly became synonymous with the triumph of the Apollo moon program and America's victory in the space race with the Soviet Union.
"That's one small step for (a) man," he said, "one giant leap for mankind."
Back on Earth 238,000 miles away, millions of p... [Read more]
via CNET http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/cnet/NnTv/~3/7bIOuPfesg8/
No comments:
Post a Comment