PLEASE! FLY YOUR FLAGS AT HALF MAST

The world is a bit emptier today.

Today we lost a hero and a great American.

Neil Alden Armstrong

passed away at the age of 82.

August 5, 1930 – August 25, 2012

       Neil Armstrong was the first astronaut; indeed the first person in the entire history of mankind to set foot on a world other than our own. Out of the billions of human beings that live or have lived on our planet, only 12 have ever walked on another piece of this universe. He was the first.
      Sadly, although his legacy will remain forever, Neil Alden Armstrong died today: August 25th, 2012 at the age of 82. Our prayers go out to his family and friends; and to a nation who watched his accomplishments with amazement as many a child dreamed of following in his footsteps. 
     That is a feat actually possible not only figuratively, but literally. The footprints of all 12 of the brave pioneers that walked on the moon are still there for the inspiration of those that surely will follow.

      Possibly best remembered for his iconic statement “That's one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind”, heard by the world audience as he stepped on to the moon, he and Edwin "Buzz" Aldren also planted the first of six American flags still proudly on the moon.

Watch the first moon landing here

       As far as is known, theirs is the only one of the six not still standing, having been blown over by their spacecraft exhaust upon takeoff from the moon.

     On July  20^th 1969, America jumped ahead of the Soviet Union in the space race by sending Michael Collins, Edwin Aldren and Neil Armstrong to the moon aboard the Apollo 11 spacecraft.

     About 600 million people watched as the first humans landed; and then walked on another piece of real estate in our solar system.

 

      At 2:56 UTC (EDT=10:56 pm,20 July) he set his left foot down in the moon dust. He was followed about 20 minutes later by Buzz Aldren. Michael Collins drew the short straw and remained aboard the command module, orbiting the moon.

      After fighting a battle with heart disease and undergoing heart surgery earlier this month, Neil Armstrong passed away today; the 25^th day of August, 2012.

 

He was the hero of a generation.

 

He will be missed.

Rest In Peace

Moon Landing Trivia:  The first galactic phone call was placed on July 21^st, 1969 UTC. Shortly before midnight Washington DC time, then-President Richard Milhous Nixon called the Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. He spoke via Houston Texas Mission Control for about 3 minutes congratulating them on their successful mission. The two astronauts were in Sea of Tranquility on the Moon. They traveled from Apollo 11 to the moon in the LEM (Lunar Excursion Module).

You can listen to the entire call here: