Thursday, September 13, 2012

Saying Goodbye To Neil Armstrong



The Neil Armstrong I Knew — And Flew With -- Michael Collins, Washington Post

Michael Collins, a retired Air Force major general, was the command module pilot of Apollo 11. He remained in lunar orbit while Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed in the Sea of Tranquility in July 1969.

Before manned space flights began, officials pondered what background they should seek in the crew for this bizarre new venture: Danger lover? Bullfighter? Mountain climber? Should they search for people who were self-aware and calm in extreme conditions? A deep-sea diver, perhaps? Finally, they settled on — and President Dwight Eisenhower supported — experimental test pilots, people who had already guided complex new flying machines. Thus the original seven astronauts were selected in 1959.

Read more ....

My Comment:
On a day of bloodshed and chaos in the world, a perfect story to end on what man is capable of .... and not what we are.

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