First Moon Landing 1969
And of course this blog would not be right without the video taken from the Apollo 11 of the first lunar landing. If you would like to see more pictures of astronaut Neil Armstrong, the best place is to go and look on NASA's image gallery. This image gallery can be found at:
Armstrong's Life TimelineThe following is a very short, very exclusive look into the life of Neil Armstrong. I took several of my facts from all sorts of sources, including news sources and wikipedia, in an effort to put together a small bit of information to commemorate an American hero. The irony of me putting this whole lifeline together is that Neil Armstrong never wanted to be famous, that he never wanted to be the strong, American figure that he was turned into. Still, for those curious, here is a timeline of Neil Armstrong's life:
- Born on August 5, 1930 in Wapakoneta, Ohio
- Father was Stephen Koenig Armstrong
- Mother was Viola Louise Engel
- Had two younger siblings, June and Den Armstrong
- Experienced his first airplane flight on July 20, 1936 in Warren, Ohio
- He and his father took a ride on the Ford Trimotor (aka the Tin Goose)
- Navy call-up came on January 26, 1949
- Required him to report to the Naval Air Station Pensacola for flight training
- Became a fully qualified Naval Aviator on August 16, 1950
- Flew 78 missions in the Korean War
- Became a test pilot after his college career on March 1955
- Cold War Space Race Begin October 4th, 1957
- Soviet Union launches Sputnik to orbit the planet as the first artificial satellite
- Selected for the U.S. Air Force's Main in Space Soonest program in 1958
- Command pilot for the Gemini 8 spacecraft
- Mission launched on March 16, 1966
- Was the backup Command Pilot for the Gemini 11 spacecraft
- Commanded the Apollo 11 spacecraft
- Landed on the Moon on July 20,1969
- First words after setting foot on the moon are "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind!"
- Armstrong stopped and had "a tender moment" while on the moon to commemorate all the NASA astronauts and Soviet cosmonauts who had died in trying to get to where he stood
- Resigns from NASA in 1971
- Accepts teaching position at the University of Cincinnati
- Department of Aerospace Engineering
- Resigns in 1979
- Underwent surgery on August 7, 2012 to relieve blocked coronary arteries
- Died on Saturday, August 25, 2012
- Died from a complication following the surgery
My Interpretation of His Life
I read that Neil Armstrong did not want the fame that came with being an astronaut, that he actually tried to stay out of the limelight as he pursued his own dreams. Yet because he was the first man to walk on the moon, because he was the first to achieve something that no one else had ever done before, he was thrusted forward into the fame and glory that comes along with it. His landing an image for all to see, his first steps shown across the world and even today still recorded, and his first words like milestones for everyone. Everyone knows what he said when he landed on the moon, everyone knows him, and everything thinks of him as glorious in his conquest.
But I do not think that he wanted people to think highly of him. Instead, I think he wanted people to realize that while what he did was a great feat for all of mankind, it was just another step for him. And maybe that is why he made his quote, that the idea of a human being reaching space is much more powerful than the idea that he made it to space. There is more symbolism behind those words than we would know, than a lot of people probably would ever care for, and it is saddening that the symbolism goes unrecognized. He wanted everyone to know that his great endeavors were not just his, but rather the bringing together of a nation in the supports of his efforts. In fact, for him to have reached the moon on his own was an impossible task. He required the supports of the nation, the care of NASA and all their technicians and scientists working to engineer the rockets, and the training that can only be provided with a lifetime of people loving and supporting. So for him, this was just another step, a part of the job he loved, and he never wanted to become that famous figure that took the first step. Instead, he wanted everyone to realize how we as a nation can all come together and surpass much more difficult achievements.
I think in that respect we did find an American hero, someone who saw past what the meaning of him being on the moon meant and more to what the meaning of a nation putting a man onto the moon meant. He saw that the fame, the glory, and the achievement to walk on the moon was his and his alone, but the power, strength, and unity of an nation coming together was an achievement for all to enjoy. As the old saying goes, the ability of the whole is greater than any single piece, and I think he saw that clearest. He put his life into the hands of engineers and buildings that were working tirelessly (and without the computers we have today) to construct the rocket, his thoughts of a safe return like that of the first pioneers that moved across his nation, and he needed to help and support of everyone around him to even think of accomplishing such a goal. For that idea, that perspective of what the first man on the moon really means, I think is why we should commemorate him.
I read that Neil Armstrong did not want the fame that came with being an astronaut, that he actually tried to stay out of the limelight as he pursued his own dreams. Yet because he was the first man to walk on the moon, because he was the first to achieve something that no one else had ever done before, he was thrusted forward into the fame and glory that comes along with it. His landing an image for all to see, his first steps shown across the world and even today still recorded, and his first words like milestones for everyone. Everyone knows what he said when he landed on the moon, everyone knows him, and everything thinks of him as glorious in his conquest.
But I do not think that he wanted people to think highly of him. Instead, I think he wanted people to realize that while what he did was a great feat for all of mankind, it was just another step for him. And maybe that is why he made his quote, that the idea of a human being reaching space is much more powerful than the idea that he made it to space. There is more symbolism behind those words than we would know, than a lot of people probably would ever care for, and it is saddening that the symbolism goes unrecognized. He wanted everyone to know that his great endeavors were not just his, but rather the bringing together of a nation in the supports of his efforts. In fact, for him to have reached the moon on his own was an impossible task. He required the supports of the nation, the care of NASA and all their technicians and scientists working to engineer the rockets, and the training that can only be provided with a lifetime of people loving and supporting. So for him, this was just another step, a part of the job he loved, and he never wanted to become that famous figure that took the first step. Instead, he wanted everyone to realize how we as a nation can all come together and surpass much more difficult achievements.
I think in that respect we did find an American hero, someone who saw past what the meaning of him being on the moon meant and more to what the meaning of a nation putting a man onto the moon meant. He saw that the fame, the glory, and the achievement to walk on the moon was his and his alone, but the power, strength, and unity of an nation coming together was an achievement for all to enjoy. As the old saying goes, the ability of the whole is greater than any single piece, and I think he saw that clearest. He put his life into the hands of engineers and buildings that were working tirelessly (and without the computers we have today) to construct the rocket, his thoughts of a safe return like that of the first pioneers that moved across his nation, and he needed to help and support of everyone around him to even think of accomplishing such a goal. For that idea, that perspective of what the first man on the moon really means, I think is why we should commemorate him.
No comments:
Post a Comment