R.I.P. Neil Armstrong (1930-2012)

In 1969, just 66 years after Man took flight under his own power, Neil Armstrong became the first human to step foot on ground that was not the Earth.  One of America's most famous astronauts, Armstrong flew in space exactly twice.  His first space mission, Gemini 8, was the first time two spacecrafts docked together in space.  The rest of the mission was cut short due to faulty wiring which caused one of the engines to become stuck.  His second trip, of course, was Apollo 11.  On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong stepped from the lunar module The Eagle and uttered the phrase "That's one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind."    

Neil Armstrong was able to do what he did because of the support of thousands of people in the Apollo Program.  This is not to diminish what Armstrong accomplished.  Armstrong had the courage to risk his life in the pursuit of science.  There was no guarantee of success; at the time 2 Soviet cosmonauts and 3 American astronauts had died either in training or during space flight.

The best eulogy I can find for Neil Armstrong was written 43 years before his death.  In preparation for the Apollo 11 moon landing, William Safire was asked to write a Presidential speech in case the astronauts were stranded on the moon: 

Fate has ordained that the men who went to the moon to explore in peace will stay on the moon to rest in peace.

These brave men, Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin, know that there is no hope for their recovery. But they also know that there is hope for mankind in their sacrifice.

These two men are laying down their lives in mankind's most noble goal: the search for truth and understanding.

They will be mourned by their families and friends; they will be mourned by their nation; they will be mourned by the people of the world; they will be mourned by a Mother Earth that dared send two of her sons into the unknown.

In their exploration, they stirred the people of the world to feel as one; in their sacrifice, they bind more tightly the brotherhood of man.

In ancient days, men looked at stars and saw their heroes in the constellations. In modern times, we do much the same, but our heroes are epic men of flesh and blood.

Others will follow, and surely find their way home. Man's search will not be denied. But these men were the first, and they will remain the foremost in our hearts.

For every human being who looks up at the moon in the nights to come will know that there is some corner of another world that is forever mankind.

Godspeed, Commander Armstrong!