The First Man on the Moon

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Image by Clément Alloing – CAphotography

 

Neil Armstrong is an infamous name which many of us know to be associated with the first flight and landing on the moon in 1969. But what of the man who took those memorable first steps on the moon?

 

Neil Armstrong was born in 1930. Before he became an astronaut, Neil was in the navy where he served in the Korean War. He became a pilot and flew over 900 flights, and he graduated with an Aerospace Engineering degree from the University of California. 

 

His first flight into space as an Aerospace Engineer happened in 1966 where he commanded the flight. He was one of the first US citizens to fly into space.  He was not the first human into space, this was achieved by the Russians in 1963. 

 

His second flight was his most famous one and remains legendary. When Neil heard of the Apollo program, he entered the aerospace engineer recruitment process and had various medical exams to see if he was eligible for space missions. When he was told that he had been successful the information was kept secret from the press for as long as possible.

 

Neil then flew into space with Buzz Aldrin in the Apollo program on Apollo 11, where they landed on the moon and spent 2 and a half hours exploring. This was a great moment for mankind who sat and watched on their television sets as these two men bounced and floated around the moon. It was a very exciting time, a miracle of science and engineering which had been a long time coming. This great race into space was a pinnacle in American achievement, and was the precursor to several decades of space travel.

 

On his return, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and a space medal of honour. He was appointed the Deputy Associate Administrator for aeronautics for the Office of Advanced Research and Technology for a short time before becoming a teacher and Professor later on in his life.

 

 Many films and documentaries explore Neil’s mission into space and his life as an aerospace engineer. He currently resides in Ohio where he is married, and he has never been into space again. His last mission was on the Apollo 11. His name has gone down in history as the first man to walk on the moon, a true miracle of engineering and a great achievement for mankind.

 

Joseph Price Bell is a budding Aerospace Engineering enthusiast, who regularly blogs and participates in the online aerospace community. Josephs love of space travel was ignited by the story of mans first steps on the moon, and the massive accomplishment this was for human kind. Joseph toyed with the idea of a career in Aerospace engineering before settling down in the recruitment industry, coincidentally recruiting Aerospace engineers.

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The First Man on the Moon