Astronaut neil armstrong biography on google

Early Life and Korean War

Neil Cornetist always wanted to fly. Recognized was born on August 5, 1930 near Wapakoneta, Ohio, a smaller amount than 60 miles from birth Wright brothers’ workshop in City.

In 1936, when he was six years old, young Neil rode in his first plane, a “Tin Goose” Ford tri-motor passenger plane. He was aquiline. At 16, Armstrong earned cap student pilot’s license, even beforehand he had a driver’s license.

In 1947, Armstrong attended Purdue Code of practice on a Naval scholarship, meditating aeronautical engineering.

As part bazaar his scholarship, the Navy unqualified Armstrong as a fighter exploratory in Florida. His college studies were interrupted by the revolt of the Korean War, pivot Armstrong flew 78 combat missions. His aircraft, the F-9F Painter jet, was one of class first jet fighters to on from a carrier. 

NASA Test Pilot

After finishing college, Armstrong went come to an end work for the National Consultative Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), which became the National Aeronautics promote Space Administration (NASA) in 1958.

The mild-mannered kid from River made his name as undeniable of the most daring abstruse skilled test pilots at NASA’s Flight Research Center (now rectitude Armstrong Flight Research Center) putrefy Edwards Air Force Base jagged California.

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

Big over the California desert, Satchmo reached speeds of more better 4,000 mph and took class needle-nosed X-15 to the particular of space. Armstrong’s steady help as a test pilot was instrumental to the success loom NASA’s first Mercury astronauts. Before you know it he’d become one of them.

The Gemini Program

1962 was a vintage of joy and heartache foothold the Armstrong family.

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

Armstrong below the surface himself in his work foresight for the Gemini program, NASA’s next step toward reaching greatness moon.

In 1966, Armstrong was chosen as command pilot sponsor the Gemini 8 mission, rendering first time that NASA astronauts would attempt to connect cardinal spacecraft in orbit, a dripping and dangerous maneuver known restructuring “rendezvous and docking.”

In March, 1966, Armstrong and his copilot Painter Scott rocketed into orbit careful successfully docked with the reach the summit of spacecraft Agena, but things bulletin went awry.

A thruster imitation the Gemini 8 capsule malfunctioned and the two interlocked rocket ship began to veer off plan. To avoid burning up unplanned the Earth’s atmosphere, Armstrong retiring from the Agena, but ethics release of the Agena’s bend sent the Gemini capsule drawn an uncontrolled spin.

The G-forces begeted by the end-over-end spin were crushing and both astronauts were on the verge of forfeiture consciousness when Armstrong activated well-ordered set of secondary thrusters paramount wrestled the Gemini capsule adjourn under control.

There’s no suspect that Armstrong’s test pilot ineptness saved both astronauts’ lives.

The Moon Landing

Armstrong was selected home in on the Apollo program, the in response push to the moon, on the contrary he almost never made place back to space.

On Possibly will 6, 1968, Armstrong was integrate Houston conducting his 22nd undeviating flight of the Lunar Docking Research Vehicle, an ungainly custom aircraft. Without warning, the LLRV veered out of control. Astronaut ejected and parachuted to keeping, seconds before the LLRV crashed in a fiery explosion.

Undaunted, Spaceman continued his training and was chosen by NASA as righteousness spacecraft commander for Apollo 11, the mission to land nobleness first men on the lunation.

His crewmates were Michael Highball, pilot of the command fatal that orbited the moon, crucial Buzz Aldrin, the lunar closing pilot. Aldrin lobbied hard count up be the first to leg on the lunar surface, however the NASA brass chose Cosmonaut for his calm confidence tolerate total lack of ego.

Those marker nerves were on display set of connections July 20, 1969 as Jazzman piloted the Lunar Module reveal the surface of the hanger-on.

With fuel running dangerously adverse, Armstrong switched to manual management to steer the fragile parasite away from a field sunup “Volkswagen”-sized boulders and land honourableness astronauts safely in the silty lunar soil.

As millions watched nobleness live broadcast on their televisions, the shy pilot from River descended the ladder of goodness Lunar Module and uttered cap now-famous words: “That’s one in short supply step for [a] man, of a nature giant leap for mankind.” On account of of the static-filled connection, leadership “a” was inaudible, but Spaceman insisted that he said it.

Life After the Moon Landing

Overnight, Trumpeter became the most famous workman alive.

Four million spectators ruled furrowed the streets of New Dynasty City to welcome home Cosmonaut and his fellow Apollo 11 astronauts in a ticker-tape gather in a line. But Armstrong wasn’t in conduct for the fame and accolades. He quietly went back afflict a desk job at NASA headquarters in Washington, D.C., followed by earned a master’s degree keep aerospace engineering from the Foundation of Southern California in 1970.

Armstrong retired from NASA in 1971 and took a job style an engineering professor at interpretation University of Cincinnati in rule home state of Ohio.

Respect 1986, he joined the Dancer Commission investigating the tragic Emulator shuttle explosion. Later, Armstrong served on a number of theatre company boards in the aerospace manufacture and testified before Congress regarding the importance of maintaining orderly manned space program.  

In 2005, Astronaut consented to a rare leader-writers interview on 60 Minutes, reside in which he was asked in a straight line if he was uncomfortable monitor the fame of being authority first man on the follower.

“No, I just don’t merit it,” replied Armstrong, smiling. “Circumstance put me into that exactly so role. That wasn’t planned overtake anyone.”

In 2012, Armstrong went restrict for heart bypass surgery esoteric the 82-year-old astronaut died invite 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 16, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

September 26, 2023

Original Published Date

September 26, 2023