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Neil Armstrong

Neil Armstrong joined NASA's astronaut corps in 1962. He made his first spaceflight as commander of Gemini 8 in 1966, becoming the first civilian in space. During this mission, he performed the first docking of two spacecraft. In 1969, Armstrong commanded Apollo 11 and was the first person to walk on the Moon, spending over two hours outside the lunar module while Michael Collins remained in orbit. Armstrong had a passion for flying from a young age and became a skilled pilot, earning his pilot's license before his driver's license. He studied aeronautical engineering at Purdue University.

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83 views2 pages

Neil Armstrong

Neil Armstrong joined NASA's astronaut corps in 1962. He made his first spaceflight as commander of Gemini 8 in 1966, becoming the first civilian in space. During this mission, he performed the first docking of two spacecraft. In 1969, Armstrong commanded Apollo 11 and was the first person to walk on the Moon, spending over two hours outside the lunar module while Michael Collins remained in orbit. Armstrong had a passion for flying from a young age and became a skilled pilot, earning his pilot's license before his driver's license. He studied aeronautical engineering at Purdue University.

Uploaded by

Orhan Aliyev
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Neil Armstrong

Armstrong joined the NASA Astronaut Corps in


the second group, which was selected in 1962. He
made his first spaceflight as commander of Gemini
8 in March 1966, becoming NASA's first civilian
astronaut to fly in space. During this mission with
pilot David Scott, he performed the first docking of
two spacecraft; the mission was aborted after
Armstrong used some of his reentry control fuel to
prevent a dangerous spin caused by a stuck thruster.
During training for Armstrong's second and last
spaceflight as commander of Apollo 11, he had to
eject from the Lunar Landing Research
Vehicle moments before a fiery crash. In July 1969,
Armstrong and Apollo 11 Lunar Module pilot Buzz
Aldrin performed the first manned Moon landing, and
spent two and a half hours outside the spacecraft
while Michael Collins remained in lunar orbit in
the Command/Service Module. Along with Collins and
Aldrin, Armstrong was awarded the Presidential
Medal of Freedom by President Richard Nixon.

Early years
Armstrong was born on August 5, 1930, near Wapakoneta, Ohio,[1][2] to Stephen Koenig Armstrong
and Viola Louise Engel. He was of German, Irish and Scottish ancestry,[3][4][5]and had a younger
sister, June, and a younger brother, Dean. His father worked as an auditor for the Ohio state
government,[6] and the family moved around the state repeatedly, living in 20 towns. Armstrong's love
for flying grew during this time, having started early when his father took his two-year-old son to
the Cleveland Air Races. When he was five, he experienced his first airplane flight in Warren, Ohio,
on July 20, 1936, when he and his father took a ride in a Ford Trimotor, also known as the "Tin
Goose".[7]
His father's last move was in 1944, back to Wapakoneta. Armstrong attended Blume High School,
and took flying lessons at the grassy Wapakoneta airfield.[2] He earned a student flight certificate on
his sixteenth birthday, then soloed in August, all before he had a driver's license.[8] He was active in
the Boy Scouts and earned the rank of Eagle Scout. As an adult, he was recognized by the Boy
Scouts of America with its Distinguished Eagle Scout Award and Silver Buffalo Award.[9] On July 18,
1969, while flying toward the Moon, Armstrong greeted the Scouts.[10] Among the few personal items
that he carried with him to the Moon and back was a World Scout Badge.[11]
In 1947, at age 17, Armstrong began studying aeronautical engineering at Purdue University. He
was the second person in his family to attend college. He was also accepted to the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology (MIT), but an uncle who had attended MIT dissuaded him from attending,
telling him that it was not necessary to go all the way to Cambridge, Massachusetts, for a good
education. His college tuition was paid for under the Holloway Plan. Successful applicants
committed to two years of study, followed by two years of flight training and one year of service in
the U.S. Navy as an aviator, then completion of the final two years of their bachelor's degree.[12] He
did not take courses in naval science, nor did he join the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps at
Purdue.

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