Still, in all, in many ways, it's more hospitable than Antarctica might be. For me, a flight in a shuttle, though most satisfying, would be anticlimactic after my flight to the moon. Along with Collins and Aldrin, Armstrong was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Richard Nixon. Although, certainly there is the problem of the environment, the vacuum, the high and low temperatures of day and night. Aside from Neil Armstrong's unforgettable words upon walking the lunar surface, the three astronauts had much more to say about their experiences. ", "Houston, Tranquility Base here. A graduate of Purdue University, Armstrong studied aeronautical engineering; his college tuition was paid for by the U.S. Navy under the Holloway Plan. There are places to go beyond belief. Neil Armstrong, Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, and Michael Collins arrived in a … President Richard Nixon congratulates the astronauts on being the first men to walk on the Moon. Liftoff on Apollo 11!'" Capsule Commander Charles Duke expresses the relief of Mission Control after nerves were tested during an unexpectedly complicated descent to the Moon, "This is the LM pilot. You will learn about events that have shaped our history, of deeds both noble and ignoble. He was the project pilot on Century Series fighters and flew the North American X-15 seven times. That was the time that we had achieved the national goal of putting Americans on the moon. Apollo mission press conference (1969); ABC World News http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/neil-armstrong-man-moon-dead/story?id=12325140&page=2#.UE0Vm67hdjw; also quoted in Of a Fire on the Moon (1970) by Norman Mailer, and in First Man: The Life of Ronnie Petch the bender (2005) by James R. The inscription on a plaque left behind on the surface of the Moon after the astronauts departed. But they also know that there is hope for mankind in their sacrifice." He was also a naval aviator, test pilot, and university professor. "Whoopee! "Here Men From The Planet Earth First Set Foot Upon the Moon, July 1969 A.D. We Came in Peace For All Mankind." In September 1951, while making a low bombing run, Armstrong's aircraft was damaged when it collided with an anti-aircraft cable which cut off a large portion of one wing. ", "I see more moon missions as delaying Mars, which is a much more interesting place to go. Here are their most unforgettable quotes on everything from their historic mission to the future of space travel. Jack King, Nasa Chief of Public Information, commentates on the launch of the Apollo 11 over a live television broadcast on July 16, 1969, "Houston, Tranquility Base here. It does adhere in fine layers, like powdered charcoal, to the sole and sides of my boots." I am it. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Words said when Armstrong first stepped onto the Moon (20 July 1969) One Small Step, transcript of Apollo 11 Moon landing https://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a11.step.html. As an engineer, I take a substantial amount of pride in the accomplishments of my profession. ", Source: "Carrying the Fire: An Astronaut's Journeys", "There's a tremendously satisfying freedom associated with weightlessness. A look into the tech transformations underway at the world's largest companies. Beautiful quotes.Share your passion for quotes. We're breathing again. Honor his example of service, accomplishment and modesty, and the next time you walk outside on a clear night and see the moon smiling down at you, think of Neil Armstrong and give him a wink.” ", "As the senior crew member, it was appropriate for [Armstrong] to be the first. … I am, and ever will be, a white-socks, pocket-protector, nerdy engineer — born under the second law of thermodynamics, steeped in the steam tables, in love with free-body diagrams, transformed by Laplace, and propelled by compressible flow. Neil Armstrong was the first human to ever set foot on the Moon. Neil Armstrong tells Nasa's Mission Control base in Texas that the Eagle landing module has reached the Moon's surface on July 20, 1963, "Roger, Twank...Tranquility, we copy you on the ground. "The Engineered Century" http://www.nae.edu/Publications/Bridge/TheVertiginousMarchofTechnology/TheEngineeredCentury.aspx remarks delivered during National Engineers Week on behalf of the National Academy of Engineering at the National Press Club (22 February 2000)Context: A century hence, 2000 may be viewed as quite a primitive period in human history. It was a brilliant jewel in the black velvet sky. After descending the ladder onto the lunar surface, Armstrong uttered his historic words: "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." But the three astronauts had much more to say about their experience flying to the moon and back. Here are their most unforgettable quotes on everything from their historic mission to the future of space travel. It's by the nature of his deep inner soul... we're required to do these things just as salmon swim upstream." To those people tonight, we give a special thank you, and to all the other people that are listening and watching tonight, God bless you. I'd like to take this opportunity to ask every person listening in, whoever and wherever they may be, to pause for a moment and contemplate the events of the past few hours and to give thanks in his or her own way." since. While the President’s plan envisages humans traveling away from Earth and perhaps toward Mars at some time in the future, the lack of developed rockets and spacecraft will assure that ability will not be available for many years. The opening lines of a speech, prepared by President Nixon's speechwriter William Safire, to be used in the event of a disaster that would maroon the astronauts on the Moon. But for the rest of my life I'll always be identified as the second man to walk on the moon. President John F. Kennedy announces his intention to put a man on the Moon before a joint session of Congress on May 25 1961, "No nation which expects to be the leader of other nations can expect to stay behind in this race for space...We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard."