A MOURNFUL TRIBUTE TO NEIL ALDEN ARMSTRONG

NEIL ALDEN ARMSTRONG , an American astronaut was the first person to land on
moon. This American hero was born on August 5, 1930 in Wapakoneta, Ohio, U.S.
In 1947, Armstrong began studying Aerospace engineering at Purdue University.
Also he was awarded a B.S. degree in Aeronautical engineering from Purdue
University in 1955 and an M.S. degree in Aerospace engineering.
He started his career as a Navy Officer. Later, he served as a test pilot at
the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics High-Speed Flight Station. After
his service at Navy, he became an experimental Research Test Pilot. Then, he
became astronaut and was the first Civilian Astronaut. Being an Astronaut, he was
engaged in Gemini and Apollo Programs.
In the Gemini 8 mission which was launched on March 16, 1966, Armstrong
was the Command Pilot and was a Backup Command Pilot for Gemini 11 which was
announced two days after landing of Gemini 8. He was engaged in several Apollo
programs and finally the way to reach Moon with the help of Apollo 11. The
objective of Apollo 11 was to safely land rather to touch with precision on a
particular spot. The landing on the surface of the moon occurred at 20:17:39 UTC
on July 20, 1969 and then he stepped on the surface at02:56 UTC on July 21,1969
saying , Thats one small step for man, but one giant leap for mankind.
His life after Apollo headed towards teaching profession at University of
Cincinnati for around eight years in the Department of Aerospace engineering. After
resigning from NASA in 1971, he got an offer from both ends of spectrum to join in
politics which he declined. Also, he was awarded many honors and awards including
Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Armstrong underwent surgery on August 7, 2012, to relieve blocked coronary
arteries. Regrettably, he died on August 25, 2012, in Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S following
complications resulting from these cardiovascular procedures. On the death of
Armstrong, his family released a statement: while we mourn the loss of a reluctant
hero, we also celebrate his remarkable life and hope that it serves as an example to
young people to work hard and makes their dreams come true, to be willing to
explore and push the limits, and to selflessly serve for a cause greater than
themselves.
They paid the tribute "For those who may ask what they can do to honor
Neil, we have a simple request. 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".