Mission Commander
Neil A. Armstrong, civilian
Personal: Born August 5, 1930, Wapakoneta, Ohio. Married, two children.
Education: B.S. in aeronautical engineering, Purdue University, 1955. M.S. in aerospace engineering, University of Southern California, 1970.
Spaceflights: Command pilot, Gemini 8 (1966). Commander, Apollo 11 (1969).
As an aviator in the U.S. Navy, Neil flew 78 mission in Korea. He received a B.S degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Purdue University in 1955 and then became a civilian test pilot with the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). He made seven flights in the X-15 program (1960 photo), reaching an altitude of 207,500 feet. He was chosen in the second group of astronauts in 1962 and was assigned as backup command pilot for Gemini 5, command pilot for
Gemini 8, backup command pilot for Gemini 11, backup commander for Apollo 8, and commander for Apollo 11 (first man to walk on the Moon). He was Deputy Associate Administrator for Aeronautics at NASA from July 1970 until August 1971, when he resigned to become Professor of Aeronautical Engineering at the University of Cincinnati. Served on the National Commission on Space from 1985 to 1986 and on the Presidential Commission on the Space Shuttle Challenger Accident in 1986.
NASA photo A11-37-5528 shows Neil in the LM after the successful completion of the first moonwalk.
~ Chance
TTK