Image above: Neil Armstrong stands next to the Ambassador of Exploration Award at the Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal. Photo credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls.
Posted on 04/19/2006 12:01:40 AM PDT by HAL9000
Excerpt -
"Houston, Tranquillity Base here. The Eagle has landed." The words of Neil Armstrong, Apollo 11 commander and the first human to set foot on the moon, told a tense and waiting Earth that humans had finally reached the lunar surface.It was July 20, 1969. With fuel running low and computers sounding alarms, Armstrong had taken manual control of the lunar module Eagle and piloted it past a boulder-strewn field to a safe landing. Now he and his crewmate Buzz Aldrin were sitting on the moon, with Mike Collins orbiting above in the command module.
Armstrong's words from the Sea of Tranquillity epitomized the fulfillment of the efforts of a generation of scientists and researchers and the hopes and dreams of millions of ordinary men and women. Tens of millions watched Armstrong take the "small step," he so aptly called a "giant leap for mankind."
For this and everything else he did for America's space program, Armstrong received NASA's Ambassador of Exploration Award on April 18, in the Reakirt Auditorium at the Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal.
Former Sen. John Glenn, who became the first American in orbit as a Mercury astronaut and later flew on the shuttle, spoke at the ceremony. Glenn said that, given the opportunities he'd had, he didn't envy many people. "But for Neil," he said, "I make a big exception."
NASA Administrator Mike Griffin spoke next, calling Armstrong a "test pilot's test pilot" as he outlined Armstrong's illustrious career.
Armstrong called the award "very impressive" and went on to share what he called "a thin slice of natural history" with the audience. Using a moon rock he dubbed "Bok" as the central character, Armstrong outlined the geologic development of the moon through the eons. He wrapped up his tale with a quip: "I was the strange creature that kidnapped Bok." He referred to the lunar sample that was part of the award as "a chip off the old Bok." ~ snip ~
(Excerpt) Read more at nasa.gov ...
I love Astronauts! yay space! :)
these NASA guys are pretty sharp; where did they hear about this mr. armstrong from after all these years?
BTTT! Thanks for posting this, Hal.
Neil Armstrong
TV's Batman
You don't think they could be one in the same.... Nah. That'd be too silly.
Doesn't matter what they give him, It'll still look insignificant compared to what he did and the place he has in history.
I can understand a guy wanting his privacy - but at the same time - he was the first....as a result, as a kid I gravitated towards Buzz Aldrin because he was more amiable - I dont know - maybe I was expecting too much...
Perhaps my favorite mission though was Apollo 8
William Anders:
"For all the people on Earth the crew of Apollo 8 has a message we would like to send you".
"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness."
Jim Lovell:
"And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day."
Frank Borman:
"And God said, Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good."
Borman then added, "And from the crew of Apollo 8, we close with good night, good luck, a Merry Christmas, and God bless all of you - all of you on the good Earth."
.....anyway - congrats to Neil...
Christopher Columbus...Charles Lindbergh...Neil Armstrong. His place in history is secure.
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