Neil Armstrong | Biography, Education, Death, Family, Moon Landing & Facts

Where did Neil Armstrong grow up?

Neil was born in Wapakoneta, Ohio on August 5, 1930. His love of airplanes began at an early age when his father took him to an air show. From then on his goal was to become a pilot. He got his pilot’s license at the age of 15. Mr. Armstrong attended Purdue University and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering.

He then completed his master’s degree at the University of Southern California. While in college, Neil was drafted into the Navy and became a fighter pilot. He served in the Korean War and flew an aircraft carrier fighter. At one point his plane came under enemy fire, but he was able to escape and was safely rescued.

Neil Armstrong Overview:

Biography of Neil Armstrong:

How did he become an astronaut?

After college, Armstrong became a test pilot. He piloted all kinds of experimental aircraft to test how well they fly. It was dangerous work for him, but it was very exciting. During his career, he flew over 200 different types of aircraft.

Armstrong volunteered as an astronaut and was selected to join the NASA Astronaut Corps in September 1962. He endured and passed a series of grueling physical examinations, and soon he was part of NASA’s second group of nine astronauts, the “New He’s Nine.” .

The Gemini 8

Armstrong’s first space trip was on Gemini 8. He was the command pilot of a space capsule and was the first to successfully dock his two vehicles in space. However, the mission was aborted when the capsule began to rotate

Apollo 11 and Walking on the Moon

On December 23, 1968, Neil was offered command of Apollo 11. This will be the first manned landing on the moon. It was an exciting time for the whole country. The United States was competing with the Soviet Union for the first manned moon landing. If the flight succeeds, Armstrong will be that man.

After months of practice and preparation, the Apollo 11 spacecraft launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 16, 1969. There was a terrifying moment during the flight when Armstrong had to manually control the landing. This was not the plan, and the crew would run out of fuel if the landing took too long.

The landing was successful with about 40 seconds of fuel remaining. Upon landing, Armstrong said, “Houston, here is Tranquility Base.” The eagle has soared. ”

After landing, Armstrong was the first to exit the spacecraft and set foot on the moon. The historical date he was July 21, 1969**. The first man to walk on the moon was famously quoted as saying, “One small step for man, one giant leap for man.” Buzz Aldrin also walked on the moon during this voyage.

They collected moon rocks and stayed on the moon for over 21 hours. While the lunar module named Eagle was on the moon, a third astronaut, Michael Collins, was in orbit around the moon in a command module. On July 24th, the three pilots returned to Earth. They landed in the Pacific and brought home heroes

After Apollo 11

After his Apollo 11 flight, Neil held many positions with his NASA. He was also a professor of aerospace engineering at the University of Cincinnati.

Interesting Facts about Neil Armstrong

He received an Eagle Scout badge in Boy Scouts.

600 million people watched the first moonwalk on television.

Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin’s footprints are still on the moon. The dust is thick, but there is no wind to remove it.

He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor a civilian can receive from the U.S. government.

He stopped signing autographs after he learned they were for sale on the Internet.