Being the first man to have walked on the surface of moon under the aegis of National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of United States, Neil Armstrong was born on August 5, 1930 in Wapakoneta, Ohio to a family of Stephen Koenig Armstrong and Viola Louise Engel that had roots of Scottish, Irish and German ancestries. He had an illustrious career that encompassed across the spectrums of aerospace, navy and professorship. His enormously successful space adventures with spacecrafts viz. Gemini 8, Gemini 11 and Apollo 11 cemented his position as one of the most dynamic and sought after astronaut the world ever witnessed.
An alumnus of Purdue University, Neil started his career as a naval aviator with the U.S. Navy before being flown to Korea in the turbulent times of war. His valiant efforts in the course of war saw him being conferred with the prestigious Gold Star, Engagement Star, Air Medal and Korean Service Medal. Upon his return to U.S. he completed his graduation in Aeronautical Engineering before pursuing masters in Aerospace Engineering from University of Southern California.
Thereafter he started his career as a test pilot at the Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory in Cleveland. After a brief spell at Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory he then joined National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). During his stint at the NACA, he undertook numerous developmental flights including that of X-15 which set the standards for its ability to fly faster at a very high altitude.
In 1966, Neil Armstrong found himself among a select group of astronauts chosen for NASA’s space mission with Gemini 8 in capacity as the commander along with his fellow astronaut David Scott. During the course of the mission, he along with David Scott achieved the elusive milestone for being first ever astronauts of its kind to dock two crafts in the space. In 1969, he was entrusted with the task of commanding the NASA’s Moon mission Apollo 11 that saw him and his fellow astronaut Buzz Aldrin accomplishing the rare feat of being the first astronauts to land on the surface of Moon with the Eagle lander.
Upon his return to Earth he and his fellow crew received worldwide attention and accolades and was conferred with distinguish honors viz. Presidential Medal of Freedom, Congressional Space Medal of Honor and Congressional Gold Medal. After a glorious career marked by the achievements of the supreme order, he eventually retired from NASA in 1971 before embarking on the realms of academics. An epitome of individual brilliance and ingenuity, Neil Armstrong died on 25th august 2012 at the age of 82 in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Mark Armstrong, Karen Armstrong, Eric Armstrong
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