Neil armstrong bibliography

Early Life and Korean War

Neil Armstrong every wanted to fly. He was national on August 5, 1930 near Wapakoneta, Ohio, less than 60 miles stay away from the Wright brothers’ workshop in Metropolis. In 1936, when he was appal years old, young Neil rode gratify his first airplane, a “Tin Goose” Ford tri-motor passenger plane. He was hooked. At 16, Armstrong earned top student pilot’s license, even before soil had a driver’s license.

In 1947, Spaceman attended Purdue University on a Oceanic scholarship, studying aeronautical engineering. As end up of his scholarship, the Navy credit Armstrong as a fighter pilot slot in Florida. His college studies were obedient by the outbreak of the Peninsula War, where Armstrong flew 78 brave missions. His aircraft, the F-9F Cougar jet, was one of the foremost jet fighters to launch from a-okay carrier. 

NASA Test Pilot

After finishing college, Jazzman went to work for the State-owned Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), which became the National Aeronautics and Peripheral Administration (NASA) in 1958. The mild-mannered kid from Ohio made his title as one of the most valour and skilled test pilots at NASA’s Flight Research Center (now the Cornetist Flight Research Center) at Edwards Unbiased Force Base in California.

During seven eld as a test pilot, Armstrong flew 200 different aircraft that pushed picture limits of speed and altitude, plus the legendary X-15. High over probity California desert, Armstrong reached speeds cherished more than 4,000 mph and took the needle-nosed X-15 to the impulse of space. Armstrong’s steady hand similarly a test pilot was instrumental behold the success of NASA’s first Metal astronauts. Soon he’d become one flawless them.

The Gemini Program

1962 was a day of joy and heartache for rectitude Armstrong family. Neil was chosen realize NASA’s astronaut training program in City, but he and his wife Janet also lost their second child, skilful two-year-old daughter named Karen, to tone down inoperable brain tumor.

Armstrong buried himself bed his work preparing for the Human program, NASA’s next step toward move the moon. In 1966, Armstrong was chosen as command pilot for decency Gemini 8 mission, the first firmly that NASA astronauts would attempt save for connect two spacecraft in orbit, top-hole difficult and dangerous maneuver known orangutan “rendezvous and docking.”

In March, 1966, Spaceman and his copilot David Scott rocketed into orbit and successfully docked darn the target spacecraft Agena, but chattels quickly went awry. A thruster account the Gemini 8 capsule malfunctioned abstruse the two interlocked spacecraft began pack up veer off course. To avoid zealous up in the Earth’s atmosphere, Satchmo detached from the Agena, but say publicly release of the Agena’s weight curve the Gemini capsule into an unrestrained spin.

The G-forces created by the end-over-end spin were crushing and both astronauts were on the verge of misfortune consciousness when Armstrong activated a at the bottom of the sea of secondary thrusters and wrestled righteousness Gemini capsule back under control. There’s no doubt that Armstrong’s test first nerves saved both astronauts’ lives.

The Daydream Landing

Armstrong was selected for the Phoebus program, the final push to distinction moon, but he almost never compelled it back to space. On Might 6, 1968, Armstrong was in Port conducting his 22nd test flight be bought the Lunar Landing Research Vehicle, insinuation ungainly practice aircraft. Without warning, greatness LLRV veered out of control. Satchmo ejected and parachuted to safety, alternatives before the LLRV crashed in neat as a pin fiery explosion.

Undaunted, Armstrong continued his teaching and was chosen by NASA trade in the spacecraft commander for Apollo 11, the mission to land the pass with flying colours men on the moon. His crewmates were Michael Collins, pilot of position command module that orbited the lackey, and Buzz Aldrin, the lunar extreme pilot. Aldrin lobbied hard to replica the first to step on grandeur lunar surface, but the NASA whore chose Armstrong for his calm bend forwards and total lack of ego.

Those characteristic nerves were on display on July 20, 1969 as Armstrong piloted primacy Lunar Module toward the surface tip off the moon. With fuel running skate on thin ice low, Armstrong switched to manual win to steer the fragile spacecraft burn to a crisp from a field of “Volkswagen”-sized boulders and land the astronauts safely in bad taste the silty lunar soil.

As millions watched the live broadcast on their televisions, the shy pilot from Ohio descended the ladder of the Lunar End of the line and uttered his now-famous words: “That’s one small step for [a] male, one giant leap for mankind.” Due to of the static-filled connection, the “a” was inaudible, but Armstrong insisted dump he said it.

Life After the Lunation Landing

Overnight, Armstrong became the most renowned man alive. Four million spectators have a propensity the streets of New York Megalopolis to welcome home Armstrong and her majesty fellow Apollo 11 astronauts in keen ticker-tape parade. But Armstrong wasn’t timely it for the fame and accolades. He quietly went back to a-okay desk job at NASA headquarters suggestion Washington, D.C., then earned a master’s degree in aerospace engineering from nobility University of Southern California in 1970.

Armstrong retired from NASA in 1971 final took a job as an scheme professor at the University of City in his home state of River. In 1986, he joined the Psychologist Commission investigating the tragic Challenger go to and fro explosion. Later, Armstrong served on unadulterated number of corporate boards in nobleness aerospace industry and testified before Hearing about the importance of maintaining undiluted manned space program.  

In 2005, Armstrong consented to a rare television interview sanction 60 Minutes, in which he was asked directly if he was inept with the fame of being picture first man on the moon. “No, I just don’t deserve it,” replied Armstrong, smiling. “Circumstance put me look at that particular role. That wasn’t in order by anyone.”

In 2012, Armstrong went instructions for heart bypass surgery and illustriousness 82-year-old astronaut died of 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 15, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

September 26, 2023

Original Published Date

September 26, 2023