Neil Armstrong and User:DoSiDo: Difference between pages

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{{Infobox Astronaut

{{User:The Raven's Apprentice/Userboxes/User Chemistry}}

| name =Neil Alden Armstrong

{{User VG-1}}

| image =Neil Armstrong pose.jpg

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| type = Astronaut

| nationality =[[United States|American]]

| date_birth =[[August 5]], [[1930]]

| place_birth =[[Wapakoneta]], [[Ohio]]

| previous_occupation =[[Test pilot]]

| selection =[[Man In Space Soonest|MISS]]; [[List of astronauts by selection#1960|Dyna-Soar]]; [[Astronaut Group 2]]

| time =8 days, 14 hours, 10 minutes

| mission =[[Gemini 8]], [[Apollo 11]]

| insignia =<center>[[Image:Ge08Patch orig.png|40px]] [[Image:Apollo 11 insignia.png|40px]]

|}}

'''Neil Alden Armstrong''' (born [[August 5]], [[1930]]) is a former [[United States|American]] [[astronaut]], [[test pilot]], and [[Naval Aviator]] who is widely known for being the first [[human]] ever to set foot on the [[Moon]]. Armstrong's first [[space flight]] was as command pilot of ''[[Gemini 8]]'' in 1966. On this mission, he performed the first manned docking of two spacecraft together with pilot [[David Scott]]. Armstrong's second and last space flight was as mission commander of the ''[[Apollo 11]]'' moon landing on [[July 20]], [[1969]]. On this famous "giant leap for mankind", Armstrong and [[Buzz Aldrin]] descended to the lunar surface and spent 2.5 hours exploring, while [[Michael Collins (astronaut)|Michael Collins]] orbited above.

==TO DO==

Before becoming an astronaut, he was an aviator for the [[United States Navy]], seeing action in the [[Korean War]]. Following this he became a test pilot at the [[National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics|NACA]] High-Speed Flight Station, now known as the [[Dryden Flight Research Center]], where he flew over 900 flights in a variety of aircraft. As a research pilot, Armstrong served as project pilot on the [[F-100 Super Sabre]] A and C aircraft, [[F-101 Voodoo]], and the [[Lockheed Corporation|Lockheed]] [[F-104 Starfighter|F-104A Starfighter]]. He also flew the [[Bell X-1|Bell X-1B]], [[Bell X-5]], [[North American X-15]], [[F-105 Thunderchief]], [[F-106 Delta Dart]], [[B-47 Stratojet]], [[KC-135 Stratotanker]] and [[Paresev]].

*[http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Chemical_images_that_should_use_vector_graphics Chemical images that should use vector graphics]

*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:WikiProject_Chemistry/Image_Request WikiProject Chemistry/Image Request]

*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Chemistry_pages_needing_pictures Category:Chemistry pages needing pictures]

*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:WikiProject_Drugs/Structural_diagrams WikiProject Pharmacology/Structural diagrams]

==Chem==

The [[lunar crater]], [[Armstrong (crater)|Armstrong]], located 50 km away from the ''Apollo 11'' landing site, was named in his honor.

===References / Links===

==Biography==

*[http://www.cas.org/EO/regsys.html CAS REGISTRY Overview]

===Youth===

*[http://openbabel.sourceforge.net/ Open Babel: A Package to Decypher Computational Chemistry]

The first child of Stephen Koenig Armstrong and Viola Louise Engel, Neil Armstrong was born at 12:31 a.m. on [[August 5]], [[1930]] in [[Wapakoneta, Ohio]].<ref>James R. Hansen, ''First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong'', Simon & Schuster, 2005, pages 49–50</ref>

*[http://www.emolecules.com/ eMolecules Chemical Search]

*[http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Molecules Molecules]

*[http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Molecule Molecule]

===Software===

His father's last forced move was to Wapakoneta in 1944. By this time, Neil was active in the [[Scouting in Ohio|Boy Scouts]] and had earned the rank of [[Eagle Scout (Boy Scouts of America)|Eagle Scout]]. As an adult he would be recognized by the [[Boy Scouts of America]] with their [[Distinguished Eagle Scout Award]] and [[Silver Buffalo Award]]. In Wapakoneta, he attended Blume High School.

*[http://jmol.sourceforge.net/ Jmol]

*[http://www.acdlabs.com/download/ ChemSketch]

*[http://www.chemaxon.com/marvin/ CML MarvinView]

*[http://bkchem.zirael.org/download_en.html BK Chem]

*[http://www.inkscape.org/ Inkscape]

**from ChemSketch, export as TIFF or WMF, then import in Inkscape

===CollegeCML===

*[http://wwmm.ch.cam.ac.uk/moin/ChemicalMarkupLanguage ChemicalMarkupLanguage]

In 1947, Armstrong began studying Aeronautical Engineering at [[Purdue University]] and received his Bachelor of Science Degree in 1955. While with NACA in California, he also attended the [[University of Southern California]], where he earned a Master of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering. He was only the second person in his family to attend college. He was also accepted to the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology|Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)]], but the only engineer he knew (who had attended MIT) dissuaded him from attending, telling Armstrong that it was not necessary to go all the way to [[Cambridge, Massachusetts]] for a good education.<ref>Ibid, page 55</ref> His college tuition was paid for under the Holloway Plan, where the successful applicants committed to two years of study, followed by three years of service in the [[United States Navy]], then completing the last two years of the degree. At Purdue, he received average marks in his subjects, with a [[GPA]] that rose and fell over the eight semesters. His best marks came in the semesters following his return from Korea. Overall, his GPA was 4.8 out of 6.0. He pledged the [[Phi Delta Theta]] fraternity after his return, where he would write and co-direct their musical as part of the all-student revue.<ref>Ibid, page 61</ref> He was also a member of [[Kappa Kappa Psi]] National Honorary Band Fraternity, Inc. The Purdue University would later honor him in late 2004 by announcing that a new engineering building would be named for him.

*[http://www.ch.ic.ac.uk/rzepa/chimeral/resources/cml/chimeral/index.html Index of CML Molecule]

*[http://www.ch.ic.ac.uk/rzepa/talks/eth05/ Chemical Semantic Web: publishing &amp; CMLRSS]

*[http://wwmm.ch.cam.ac.uk/moin/CmlRss CmlRss]

*[http://www.randomfactory.com/cml.html CML Reference Collection]

*[http://cml.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page CML Wiki]

===Import Test===

It was at Purdue where he met Janet Elizabeth Shearon, who was majoring in [[Family and consumer science|home economics]]. According to the two there was no real courtship and neither can remember the exact circumstances of their engagement, except that it occurred while Armstrong was working at the [[National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics|NACA]]'s [[Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory]]. They were married on [[January 28]], [[1956]] at the Congregational Church in [[Wilmette, Illinois]]. When he moved to Edwards, he lived in the bachelor quarters of the base, while Janet lived in [[Westwood, Los Angeles, California|Westwood]] district of [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]]. After one semester, they moved into a house in [[Antelope Valley]]. Janet never finished her degree, a fact she regretted later in life.<ref>Ibid, pages 124–127</ref>

[[Image:amlodipine.svg]]

Together, Neil and Janet had four children&mdash;Eric, Karen Anne, and Mark.<ref>Ibid, page 128</ref> In June 1961, his daughter Karen was diagnosed as suffering from a [[malignant]] [[tumor]] of the middle part of her [[brain stem]]. X-ray treatment slowed its growth but her health deteriorated to the point she could no longer walk or talk. She died of [[pneumonia]], related to her weakened health, on [[January 28]], [[1962]], the Armstrongs' wedding anniversary.<ref>Ibid, chapter 14</ref>

===Korea===

The call-up from the Navy arrived on [[January 26]], [[1949]], requiring him to report to [[Naval Air Station Pensacola]] for flight training. This would last almost a year and a half, during which time he would be qualified for [[Aircraft carrier|carrier]] landing aboard the [[USS Cabot (CVL-28)|USS ''Cabot'']] and [[USS Wright (CVL-49)|USS ''Wright'']]. On [[August 12]], [[1950]] he was informed by letter he was now a fully qualified Naval Aviator.<ref>Ibid, chapter 7</ref>

His first assignment was to Fleet Aircraft Service Squadron 7 at [[Naval Air Station North Island|NAS San Diego]] (now known as NAS North Island). Two months later he was assigned to Fighter Squadron 51 (VF-51), an all-jet squadron. He would make his first flight in a jet, a [[F9F Panther|F9F-2B Panther]] on [[January 5]], [[1951]]. Six months later on [[June 7]] he made his first jet carrier landing on the [[USS Essex (CV-9)|USS ''Essex'']]. The same week he was promoted from [[midshipman]] to [[Ensign (rank)|ensign]]. By the end of month, the ''Essex'' had set sail with VF-51 aboard, bound for Korea, where they would act as [[ground attack aircraft]].<ref>Ibid, chapter 8</ref>

He first saw action in the [[Korean War]] on [[August 29]], [[1951]] as an escort for a [[photo reconnaissance]] plane over [[Kimchaek|Songjin]]. And only five days later, he was shot down for the first and only time of his military career. The principal targets for the armed [[reconnaissance]] flight were freight yards and a bridge on a narrow valley road south of the village of Majon-ni west of [[Wonsan]]. While making a low bombing run at about 350&nbsp;mph (560&nbsp;km/h) in his [[F9F Panther]], he was hit with anti-aircraft guns, after which his plane took a nose dive and sliced through a cable strung about 500&nbsp;feet (150&nbsp;m) up across the valley by the North Koreans. This sheared off an estimated six&nbsp;feet (2&nbsp;m) of his right wing.

He was able to fly the plane back to friendly territory but due to the loss of the [[aileron]] he would not be able to land the plane safely, meaning his only option was to [[Ejector seat|eject]]. Planning to eject over water and await rescue by navy helicopters, he flew to an airfield near [[Pohang]]. After ejecting, winds forced him back over land and Armstrong was picked up by a jeep from the airfield, driven by a roommate from flight school. It is unknown what happened to the wreckage of No. 125122 F9F-2.<ref>Ibid, chapter 9</ref>

Over Korea, Armstrong would fly a total of 78 missions, for a total of 121 hours in the air. Over one third of this time was in January 1952. For his service to his country, he received the [[Air Medal]] for 20 combat missions, a [[Award star|Gold Star]] for the next 20 and the [[Korean Service Medal]] and Engagement Star.<ref>Ibid, page 112</ref> He left the navy on [[August 23]], [[1952]], becoming a [[Lieutenant, junior grade]] in the [[United States Navy Reserve|United States Naval Reserve]]. He later resigned his commission in the Naval Reserve on [[October 20]], [[1960]].<ref>Ibid, page 118</ref>

===Test pilot===

[[Image:Neil Armstrong 1956 portrait.jpg|thumb|A portrait of Neil Armstrong taken [[November 20]], [[1956]] while a test pilot at the NACA High-Speed Flight Station at Edwards Air Force Base, California.]]

Upon graduating from Purdue, Armstrong decided to try to become an experimental [[test pilot]], specifically a research pilot. He applied at the [[National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics]] [[Dryden Flight Research Center|High-Speed Flight Station]] at [[Edwards Air Force Base]]. They had no positions so they passed on the application to the [[Glenn Research Center|Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory]] in [[Cleveland, Ohio]], where he started working in February 1955. He was there for only five months before taking a position at Edwards.<ref>Ibid, chapter 11</ref>

On his very first day at Edwards, he was flying. His first assignments were piloting chase planes on drops of experimental aircraft from converted bombers. He also flew the converted bombers and on one of these he had his first dangerous experience at Edwards. He was in the right-hand seat of a [[B-29 Superfortress]] on [[March 22]], [[1956]] which was air-dropping a [[Douglas Skyrocket|Douglas Skyrocket D-558-2]]. The right-hand seat pilot was in charge of the actual release, while the left-hand seat commander flew the B-29.

As they flew to 30,000&nbsp;feet (9000&nbsp;m) the number four engine stopped and the propeller began wind milling in the airstream. Hitting the switch that would stop the propeller spinning, Stan Butchart, in the left-hand seat found the propeller slowed but then started spinning again, this time even faster than the other engines. If it spun too fast it would fly apart. However, they needed have an airspeed of 210&nbsp;mph to launch the D-558-2 and could not land with it still attached to the belly. They nosed the aircraft down to pick up speed and launched the D-558-2. At this very instant the propeller disintegrated, with pieces going through part of the number three engine and hitting the number two engine. Butchart and Armstrong were forced to shut down the number three engine due to damage and the number one engine due to the [[torque]] it created. They managed to make a slow, circling descent from 30,000 feet and land safely.

His first flight in a rocket plane was on [[August 15]], [[1957]] in the [[Bell X-1|Bell X-1B]] to a height of 11.4&nbsp;miles (18.3&nbsp;km). On landing he broke the nose landing gear, though this had happened on about a dozen previous flights of the aircraft due to its design.<ref>Ibid, page 145</ref> He would first fly the [[North American X-15]] on [[November 30]], [[1960]], the first of seven times he would be at the controls. On this first flight he would reach a top altitude of 48,840&nbsp;feet (14.9&nbsp;km) and a top speed of Mach&nbsp;1.75.

In November 1960 he was chosen to be part of the pilot consultant group for the [[X-20 Dyna-Soar]], a program to develop a space plane that could be used for a variety of military missions. Then on [[March 15]], [[1962]] he was named as one of six pilot-engineers for the project, the people who would fly the space plane when it got off the design board.<ref>Ibid, page 173</ref>

[[Image:Neil Armstrong and X-15.jpg|thumb|Neil Armstrong is seen here next to the X-15 ship #1 (56-6670) after a research flight.]]

Armstrong would be involved in several incidents that would go down in Edwards's folklore or be written about by others in their memoirs. The first was an X-15 flight on [[April 20]], [[1962]] when Armstrong was testing a self-adjusting control system. He first rocketed to a height of 207,000&nbsp;feet (63.2&nbsp;km) (the highest he flew before Gemini 8). As he descended, he kept the nose of the craft up too long and literally bounced off the atmosphere back up to 140,000&nbsp;feet (42.7&nbsp;km) where the atmosphere is so thin that aerodynamic surfaces have no effect on the attitude of craft. He flew past the landing field at Mach&nbsp;3 and over 100,000&nbsp;feet in the air. He ended up 45&nbsp;miles south of Edwards (folklore at the base has that he flew as far as the [[Rose Bowl (stadium)|Rose Bowl]]). Descending enough he turned and headed back to the dry lake beds, just managing to land without crashing into [[Joshua tree]]s at the south end. It was the longest X-15 flight in both time and distance of the ground track.<ref>Ibid, pages 178–184</ref>

A second incident was when Armstrong flew for the first and only time with [[Chuck Yeager]] four days after his X-15 adventure. Flying a [[T-33 Shooting Star]], their job was to test out Smith Ranch Dry Lake in case it needed to be used as an emergency landing site for an X-15 flight. In his autobiography, Yeager wrote that he knew the lakebed was unsuitable for landings after recent rains but Armstrong insisted on flying out anyway. As they made a "[[touch and go]]", the wheels became stuck and they had to wait for rescue. Armstrong tells a different version of events where Yeager never tried to talk him out of it and they made a first successful landing on the east side of the lake. Then Yeager told him to try again, this time a bit slower. On the second landing they became stuck and according to Armstrong, Yeager was in fits of laughter.<ref>Ibid, pages 184–189</ref>

Many of the test pilots at Edwards rated Armstrong's engineering ability highly. [[Milton O. Thompson|Milt Thompson]] said he was "the most technically capable of the early X-15 pilots". [[Bruce Peterson]] said Armstrong "had a mind that absorbed things like a sponge." Those who flew for the [[United States Air Force]] tended to have a different opinion, especially people like [[Chuck Yeager]] and [[William J. Knight|Pete Knight]] who did not have engineering degrees. Knight said that pilot-engineers flew in a way that was "more mechanical than it is flying" and gave this as the reason why some got into trouble as it didn't come naturally.<ref>Ibid, pages 138–139</ref>

In the final incident on [[May 21]], [[1962]], Armstrong was involved in what would be known forever in Edwards's folklore as the Nellis Affair. He was sent up in a F-104 to inspect Delamar Lake, again in case of emergency landings. He misjudged his height and also did not realize that his landing gear had failed to fully extend. So as he touched down the landing gear began to retract. Armstrong applied full power to abort the landing but the [[ventral]] fin and landing gear door came into contact with the ground damaging the radio equipment and releasing hydraulic fluid. Without radio communication he flew to [[Nellis Air Force Base]] and past their control tower waggling his tail, signaling a no-radio approach. The loss of hydraulic fluid caused the emergency tail-hook to release, so when he landed, he caught the arresting wire attached to an anchor chain. He was not prepared for this and so went careering down the runway dragging chain links with him. Thirty minutes were required to clear the runway and rig a makeshift arresting cable. In the meantime, Armstrong rang Edward's requesting that someone come and pick him up. [[Milton O. Thompson|Milt Thompson]] was sent in a F-104B, the only two-seater available, but a plane he had never flown (he had flown the F-104A). With great difficulty he made it to Nellis, but a strong crosswind on landing meant he landed hard, blowing the left main tire. The runway was once again closed to clean it of debris. [[William H. Dana|Bill Dana]] was sent in a [[T-33 Shooting Star]], but almost landed long. The base operations office decided that it would be best to find the three NASA pilots some transport back to Edwards to avoid any further problems.<ref>Ibid, pages 189–192</ref>

Armstrong made a total of seven flights in the X-15, reaching an altitude of 207,500&nbsp;feet (~63&nbsp;km) in the X-15-3 and a speed of Mach&nbsp;5.74 (6,615&nbsp;km/h or 3,989&nbsp;mph) in the X-15-1. He left the Flight Research Center with a total of 2,450 flying hours in more than 50 types of aircraft.

===Astronaut selection and early training===

[[Image:Neil Armstrong pre Gemini spacesuit.jpg|thumb|Neil Armstrong in an early (pre-Gemini) spacesuit]]

There was no defining moment in Neil Armstrong's decision to become an astronaut. Over four or five months after the announcement that applications were being sought for the second group, he became more and more excited about the prospect of [[Project Apollo]] and the prospect of investigating a new aeronautical environment. It was found out many years later that Armstrong's astronaut application had arrived about a week past the [[June 1]], [[1962]] deadline. Dick Day, with whom Armstrong had worked closely at Edwards, was now at the Manned Spacecraft Center and, seeing the application arrive late, slipped it into the pile before anyone noticed.<ref>Ibid, page 195</ref> At [[Brooks Air Force Base]] at the end of June he underwent a medical exam that many of the applicants described as painful and at times seemingly pointless.<ref>Ibid, page 203</ref>

[[Deke Slayton]] called Neil Armstrong on [[September 13]], [[1962]] and asked if he was interested in joining the astronaut corps as part of what the press dubbed "the [[New Nine]]". Without hesitation, he said yes. The selections were kept secret until three days later, although newspaper reports had been circulating since the middle of summer that year that he would be selected as the "first civilian astronaut".<ref>Ibid, pages 201–202</ref>

===Gemini===

====''Gemini 5''====

{{main|Gemini 5}}

The first crew assignment for Neil Armstrong was as backup Command Pilot for ''[[Gemini 5]]'', with Elliot See as the backup Pilot. This was an eight-day mission, longer than any spaceflight up till that time, with a prime crew of [[Gordon Cooper]] and [[Pete Conrad]]. The assignments were announced on [[February 8]], [[1965]], and from then until the launch on [[August 21]], [[1965]], Armstrong and See trained to fly the mission in case the prime crew could not. After watching the launch from Cape Canaveral, Armstrong and See flew in [[T-38 Talon|T-38]]s to Houston, and were even able to talk to Cooper and Conrad via [[Very high frequency|VHF]] as they orbited above.<ref>Ibid, pages 234–238</ref>

====''Gemini 8''====

{{main|Gemini 8}}

[[Image:Gemini 8 recovery.jpg|thumb|Recovery of the ''Gemini 8'' spacecraft from the western Pacific Ocean]]

The crew for ''[[Gemini 8]]'' were announced on [[September 20]], [[1965]]. Command Pilot Neil Armstrong would fly with Pilot [[David Scott]]. Scott was the first member of the third group of astronauts to receive a prime crew assignment. The mission launched [[March 16]], [[1966]]. It was to be the most complex yet, with a rendezvous and docking with the unmanned [[Agena Target Vehicle]], the second American (and third ever) [[Extra-vehicular activity|extra-vehicular activity (EVA)]] (Armstrong himself dislikes the term "spacewalk") by Scott. In total the mission was planned to last 75 hours and 55 orbits. After the Agena lifted off at 10 a.m. [[North American Eastern Standard Time Zone|EST]], the [[Titan II]] carrying Armstrong and Scott ignited at 11:41:02 a.m. EST, putting them into an orbit from where they would chase the Agena.<ref>Ibid, chapter 19</ref>

The rendezvous and first ever docking between two spacecraft was successfully completed after 6½ hours in orbit. Contact with the crew was intermittent due to the lack of tracking stations covering their entire orbits. Out of contact with the ground the docked spacecraft began to roll, which Armstrong attempted to correct with the Orbital Attitude and Maneuvering System (OAMS) of the Gemini spacecraft. Following the earlier advice of Mission Control, they undocked, but found that the roll increased dramatically to the point where they were turning about once per second, meaning the problem was in their Gemini's attitude control. Armstrong decided the only course of action was to engage the Reentry Control System (RCS) and turn off the OAMS. Mission rules dictated that once this system was turned on, the spacecraft would have to reenter at the next possible opportunity. It was later thought that damaged wiring made one of the thrusters become stuck on.

Throughout the astronaut office, there were a few people who came to the conclusion that Armstrong had somehow screwed up, some referring to the fact he was a civilian. [[Walter Cunningham]] wrote in his autobiography ''The All-American Boys'' that the crew ignored malfunction procedures for such an incident. This is untrue as no such procedures were written. Cunningham also incorrectly stated that Armstrong could have turned on only one of the two rings of the RCS. It was only possible to turn on both rings. Cunningham was one of the few in the Astronaut Office to seriously criticize the conduct of Armstrong and Scott. Mission controller, [[Gene Kranz]], wrote in his biography ''Failure Is Not An Option'' that "the crew reacted as they were trained, and they reacted wrong because we trained them wrong." The mission planners and controllers had failed to realize that when two spacecraft are docked together they must be considered to be one spacecraft.<ref>[[Gene Kranz|Kranz, G.]]: "Failure Is Not an Option: Mission Control from Mercury to Apollo 13 and Beyond.", page 174. Simon & Schuster, 2000</ref>

Armstrong himself was depressed and annoyed at how the mission had been cut short, robbing Scott of his EVA and other mission objectives. He didn't hear of the criticism of other astronauts but did speculate after the flight that if he had been a little smarter, he may have been able to work out the cause sooner and not have turned on the RCS, or remained docked to the Agena and used its attitude control to regain control.

====''Gemini 11''====

{{main|Gemini 11}}

The last crew assignment for Armstrong during the Gemini program was as backup Command Pilot for ''[[Gemini 11]]'', announced two days after the landing of Gemini 8. Having already trained for two flights, Armstrong was quite knowledgeable about the systems and was more in a teaching role for the rookie backup Pilot, [[William Anders]]. The launch was on [[September 12]], [[1966]] with [[Pete Conrad]] and [[Richard F. Gordon, Jr.|Dick Gordon]] on board. The two successfully completed the mission objectives, while Armstrong served as CapCom.

Following the flight, [[President of the United States|President]] [[Lyndon Johnson]] asked Armstrong and his wife to take part in a 24-day goodwill tour of [[South America]]. Also on the tour were Dick Gordon, [[George Low]], their wives, and other government officials. They traveled to 11 countries and 14 major cities. Armstrong impressed everyone involved when he greeted dignitaries in their local language. In Brazil he talked about the exploits of the Brazilian-born [[Alberto Santos-Dumont]], regarded in the country as having beaten the [[Wright brothers]] with the [[first flying machine]].

===Early Apollo program===

On [[January 27]], [[1967]] Armstrong was in [[Washington, D.C.]] with [[Gordon Cooper]], [[Richard F. Gordon, Jr.|Dick Gordon]], [[Jim Lovell]] and [[Scott Carpenter]] for the signing of the [[United Nations]] [[Outer Space Treaty]]. After talking to the assembled dignitaries until 6:45 p.m., Carpenter went to the airport while the rest returned to the Georgetown Inn where they found they all had messages waiting for them, telling them to phone [[Houston, Texas]], home of the [[Johnson Space Center|Manned Spaceraft Center]]. It was then that they learned of the death of [[Gus Grissom]], [[Edward Higgins White|Ed White]] and [[Roger B. Chaffee|Roger Chaffee]] in the ''[[Apollo 1]]'' fire. The remaining four spent the rest of the night drinking [[scotch]] and discussing what had happened. Back in Houston, Janet was tasked with going to next door neighbor Pat White and being with her until Bill Anders arrived with the terrible news.

On [[April 5]], [[1967]], the same day the ''Apollo 1'' investigation released its report on the fire, Armstrong was assembled with 17 other astronauts for a meeting with Deke Slayton. The first thing Slayton said was "the guys who are going to fly the first lunar missions are the guys in this room." According to [[Gene Cernan]], Armstrong showed no reaction to the statement. To Armstrong it came as no surprise — the room was full of veterans of [[Project Gemini]], the only people who could fly the lunar missions. Slayton talked about the planned missions and named Armstrong to the backup crew for ''[[Apollo 9]]'', which at that stage was planned to be a high-Earth orbit test of the [[Lunar Module]]-[[Command/Service Module]] combination. After delays in the [[Apollo Lunar Module]] (LM), ''Apollo 9'' and ''Apollo 8'' would swap crews. Based on the normal crew rotation scheme, Armstrong would command ''[[Apollo 11]]''.

To give the astronauts experience with the way the LM flew, Bell Aerosystems built two [[LLRV|Lunar Landing Research Vehicles]], which were later converted to Lunar Landing Training Vehicles (LLTV). Nicknamed the [[Flying bedstead]], they simulated the one-sixth [[acceleration due to gravity|Gee]] of the Moon by using a [[turbofan]] engine to cancel out most of the craft's weight. On [[May 6]], [[1968]], about 100 feet (30 m) above the ground, Armstrong's controls started to degrade and the LLTV began banking. He ejected safely (later analysis would suggest if he had ejected 0.4 seconds later, his parachute would not have opened in time). His only injury was from biting his tongue (see also [[List of space disasters]]). Even though he was nearly killed on one, Armstrong maintains that without the LLRV and LLTV, the lunar landings would not have been successful as they gave commanders valuable experience in the behavior of lunar landing craft.

===Apollo 11===

{{main|Apollo 11}}

[[Image:Ap11-s69-31740.jpg|thumb|Apollo 11 crew portrait. Left to right is Neil Armstrong, [[Michael Collins (astronaut)|Michael Collins]], and [[Buzz Aldrin]]]]

After serving as the backup commander for ''[[Apollo 8]]'', Neil Armstrong was offered the post of commander of ''Apollo 11'' by [[Deke Slayton]] on [[December 23]], [[1968]] as ''8'' orbited the Moon. In a meeting that was not made public until the publication of Armstrong's biography in 2005, Slayton told him that although the planned crew was Armstrong as commander, lunar module pilot [[Buzz Aldrin]] and command module pilot [[Michael Collins (astronaut)|Michael Collins]], he was offering the chance to replace Aldrin with [[Jim Lovell]]. After thinking it over for a day, Armstrong told Slayton he would stick with Aldrin as he had no difficulty working with him and thought Lovell deserved his own command. Replacing Aldrin with Lovell would make Lovell the Lunar Module Pilot, which unofficially ranked as number three on the crew. Armstrong could not justify placing Lovell, the commander of ''[[Gemini 12]]'', in the number 3 position of the crew.

One of the small controversies that appeared before and after the flight was the decision of exactly who would first walk on the Moon. Aldrin thought at first he would be the first based on the experience of Gemini. During the Gemini program the crew member who conducted the EVAs was the pilot, while the command pilot stayed on board. The rationale for this was the commander had a large number of responsibilities and the extra training an EVA required would impact on his ability to carry out the mission.

It was probably a March 1969 meeting between Deke Slayton, [[Robert R. Gilruth|Bob Gilruth]], [[George Low]], and [[Christopher C. Kraft, Jr.|Chris Kraft]] that determined that Neil Armstrong would be the first person on the moon. It was decided that Armstrong would be the first out no matter what just because they saw him as more of a [[Charles Lindbergh]]-type person, with no large ego. A press conference held on [[April 14]], [[1969]] gave the design of the LM cabin as the reason for Armstrong being first. The hatch opened inwards and to the right, making it impossible for the lunar module pilot, on the right-hand side, to egress first. At the time of their meeting, the four did not know the hatch issue and the first knowledge of the meeting outside the four came when Kraft wrote his 2001 autobiography.<ref>"First Man", chapter 25</ref>

On [[July 16]], [[1969]], Armstrong received a crescent moon carved out of [[Polystyrene|Styrofoam®]] from the pad leader, [[Guenter Wendt]], who described it as a key to the Moon. In return, Armstrong gave Wendt a ticket for a "space taxi" "good between two planets".

====Voyage to the Moon====

During the launch, Armstrong's heart would reach a top rate of 110 beats per minute and he found the first stage to be the loudest, much noisier than the Gemini 8 Titan II launch. And after the confinement of the Gemini capsule, the Apollo CSM was relatively roomy, though fortunately none of the ''Apollo 11'' crew suffered from the [[Space adaptation syndrome|space sickness]] that had hit members of previous crews. Armstrong was especially happy for this as he was prone to [[motion sickness]] as a child and could experience [[nausea]] after doing long periods of [[aerobatics]].

The objective of ''Apollo 11'' was just to land, not a pin-point landing, so Armstrong was not overly worried when three minutes into the burn, he noted that craters were passing a few seconds too early, which would mean they would land long by a couple of miles. As the ''Eagle'''s landing [[radar]] acquired the surface, the first of several computer error alarms appeared. The first had been given the code of 1202, and even with their extensive training, computer error codes were not something that Armstrong or Aldrin knew. To Armstrong the alarm was more of distraction rather than a worry. He knew from his test pilot experience that as long as the instruments were giving good data and the craft was flying properly, there is no reason to abort. The 1202 alarms (and the 1201 alarms that followed) were caused by a processing [[overflow]] in the computer.

[[Image:Neil Armstrong.jpg|thumb|Buzz took this picture of Neil in the cabin after the completion of the EVA]]

Accounts of the landing of ''Apollo 11'' always talk of the fuel situation as being quite dire, with only a few seconds left. In fact, Armstrong was never overly worried, having landed the LLTV with less than 15 seconds left on several occasions. He was also confident that the LM could survive a straight-down fall from 50&nbsp;ft (15&nbsp;m) if needed. Analysis after the mission showed there was about 50 seconds of hovering time left.

Upon landing at 20:17:39 [[Universal Coordinated Time|UTC]] on [[July 20]], [[1969]], the first words Armstrong intentionally spoke to Mission Control and the world were "Houston, Tranquility Base here. The ''Eagle'' has landed." Aldrin and Armstrong celebrated their achievement with only a handshake and pat on the back before quickly returning to the checklist of tasks.

[[Image:First man on the moon.jpg|thumb|Stamp]]

====First Moon walk====

Once they were ready to go outside, ''Eagle'' was depressurized, the hatch opened and Armstrong made his way out and down the ladder. Placing his left foot on the surface at 2:56 UTC [[July 21]], [[1969]], he spoke the words for which he would always be remembered:

:''That's one small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind.''

The phrase was declared after saying "I'm going to step off the [[Lunar module|LM]] now" and turning and setting the boot on the surface.<ref>David Harland ''Exploring the Moon: The Apollo Expeditions''. 1999, ISBN 1-8523-3099-6</ref> When Armstrong made his proclamation, [[Voice of America]] was rebroadcast live via the [[BBC]] and many other stations the world over. The global audience at that moment was estimated at 450 million listeners.<ref>Alan L. Heil. ''Voice of America: A History''. 2003, ISBN 0-2311-2674-3</ref>

It had long been assumed that Armstrong mistakenly had omitted the word "a" from his famous remark, rendering the phrase contradictory. Armstrong, who admits that he often forgot syllables when speaking, is quoted as saying that he "would hope that history would grant me leeway for dropping the syllable and understand that it was certainly intended, even if it wasn't said&mdash;although it might actually have been." Listening to the audio seems to reveal that the "for" runs on smoothly, giving no time for "a" to be spoken.

It has since been claimed that acoustic analysis of the recording reveals the presence of the missing "a".<ref>http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-2384628,00.html</ref> A digital audio analysis conducted by Peter Shann Ford, an Australia-based computer programmer, claims that Armstrong did, in fact, say "a man", but the "a" was inaudible due to the limitations of communications technology of the time.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.controlbionics.com/Electronic%20Evidence%20and%20Physiological%20Reasoning.htm|author=Peter Shann Ford|title=Electronic Evidence and Physiological Reasoning Identifying the Elusive Vowel "a" in Neil Armstrong's Statement on First Stepping onto the Lunar Surface|date=2006-09-17|accessdate=2006-10-04}}</ref><ref>http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/09/30/moon.quote.ap/index.html</ref><ref>[http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/nation/4227557.html Software revises Armstrong's moon quote (Oct. 1, 2006)]</ref> The article by Ford, however, is published on Ford's own web site rather than in a peer-reviewed scientific journal, and appears to reflect a very limited understanding of the speech sciences. Nevertheless, Ford and [[Auburn University]] professor of history, James R. Hansen, Armstrong's authorized biographer, presented these findings to Armstrong and NASA representatives, who are conducting their own analysis. The debate includes a discussion by the linguists David Beaver and [[Mark Liberman]] at Language Log.<ref>

http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/%7Emyl/languagelog/archives/003630.html One small step backwards (including audio)

</ref><ref>

http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/%7Emyl/languagelog/archives/003632.html

One 75-millisecond step before a "man"

</ref><ref>

http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/003634.html Armstrong's abbreviated article: the smoking gun?

</ref><ref>

http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/%7Emyl/languagelog/archives/003635.html

Armstrong's abbreviated article: notes from the expert

</ref><ref>

http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/003639.html First Korean on the moon

</ref><ref>

http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/003645.html What Neil Armstrong said

</ref><ref>

http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/%7Emyl/languagelog/archives/003630.html

One small step backwards

</ref>

Armstrong has expressed his preference that written quotations include the "a" in parentheses.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4225505.html|title=High-tech analysis may rewrite space history|author=Carreau, Mark|date=Sept. 29, 2006|accessdate=September 30|accessyear=2006}}</ref>

The simple statement came from a train of thought that he had during the hours after landing.<ref>

http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/%7Emyl/languagelog/archives/003635.html

Neil Armstrong's biographer, James Hansen, in an E-Mail quoted at http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/%7Emyl/languagelog/archives/003635.html: ''Neil only composed the phrase in his head sometime after the landing and going through all the emergency liftoff

procedures, etc. He had no more than two hours from the time he thought

it up to the time he uttered it.''

</ref>

He knew he would have to say something as he took the first step, and "step" seemed like a good place to start. {{fact}} It just grew from there. Theories that he consciously took the statement from [[J. R. R. Tolkien]]'s ''[[The Hobbit]]'' ("not a great leap for a man, but a leap in the dark") or a memo from an associate deputy administrator of NASA are denied by Armstrong.

[[Image:As11-40-5886.jpg|thumb|Neil Armstrong works at the LM in one of the few photos showing him during the EVA]]

About 15 minutes after the first step, Aldrin joined him on the surface and they began their tasks of investigating how easily a person could operate on the lunar surface. Early on they also unveiled a plaque commemorating their flight, and also planted the [[flag of the United States]]. The flag used on this mission had a metal rod to hold it horizontal from its pole. Since the rod did not fully extend, the flag ended up with a slighly wavy appearance, as if there were a breeze.<ref>http://space.about.com/cs/missions/a/apollo11_3.htm</ref> On Earth there had been some discussion as to whether it was appropriate, something that Armstrong did not care much about. He did think that the flag should have been left to drape as it would on Earth, but decided it wasn't worth making a big deal about. Deke Slayton had warned Armstrong that they would receive a special communication, but did not tell him that President [[Richard Nixon]] would contact them just after the flag planting.

The flag planting and subsequent phone call from Nixon were later given by Aldrin as the reason why out of the entire photographic record of ''Apollo 11'' there are no intentional photographs of Armstrong. There are only five images of Armstrong partly shown or reflected. Aldrin said it was planned to take a photo of Armstrong after the famous image of Aldrin was taken, but they were interrupted by Nixon. There were just over five minutes between these two events. The mission was timelined to the minute, with the majority of photographic tasks to be performed by Armstrong with their one [[Hasselblad]] camera.

After helping to set up the Early Apollo Scientific Experiment Package, Armstrong went for a walk to what is now known as East Crater, 65&nbsp;yards (60&nbsp;m) east of the LM, the furthest distance he or Aldrin would travel from the LM. Armstrong's final task was leaving a small package of memorial items to deceased [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] cosmonauts [[Yuri Gagarin]] and [[Vladimir Komarov]], and the crew of Apollo 1; [[Roger B. Chaffee]], [[Gus Grissom]] and [[Edward Higgins White]].

====Return to Earth====

After re-entering the LM, the hatch was closed and sealed. The liftoff from the lunar surface, rendezvous and docking with ''Columbia'', and return to Earth all went according to plan.

After being released from a 21-day quarantine, the crew were feted across the United States and around the world as part of a 45-day "Giant Leap" tour. Armstrong then took part in [[Bob Hope]]'s 1969 [[United Service Organizations|USO]] show, primarily to [[Vietnam]], where some soldiers would ask questions about how a man could be sent to the Moon, but they were still stuck fighting the war. Tabloid newspaper printed stories that romantically link Armstrong to [[Connie Stevens]] who was also on the tour, but the reports were untrue.<ref>James R. Hansen, ''First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong'', Simon & Schuster, 2005, pages 566–582</ref>

In May 1970 he traveled the [[Soviet Union]] to present a talk at the 13th annual conference of the International Committee on Space Research. Arriving in [[Saint Petersburg|Leningrad]] from Poland, he traveled to [[Moscow]] where he met [[Premier of the Soviet Union|Premier]] [[Alexey Kosygin]]. He was the first westerner to see the supersonic [[Tupolev Tu-144]] and was given a tour of the [[Yuri Gagarin Cosmonauts Training Center]], which Armstrong described as "a bit Victorian in nature." He was surprised to watch at the end of the day delayed video of the launch of [[Soyuz 9]]. That the mission was occurring had not been mentioned to him even though [[Valentina Tereshkova]] had been his host and her husband, [[Andrian Nikolayev]], was on board.<ref>Ibid, pages 582–584</ref>

===Life after Apollo===

====Teaching====

[[Image:Neil armstrong 1999.jpg|thumb|Neil Armstrong on [[July 16]], [[1999]] at the [[John F. Kennedy Space Center]]]]

Armstrong announced shortly after the ''Apollo 11'' flight that he planned not to fly in space again. He was appointed to be the Deputy Associate Administrator for aeronautics for the Office of Advanced Research and Technology. He would serve in this position for only 13 months, resigning from it and NASA as a whole in August 1971. He had accepted a teaching position at the [[University of Cincinnati]] engineering department.

He decided on Cincinnati over other universities (even his [[alma mater]] Purdue) as it had a small department and he hoped that the faculty members would not be annoyed that he had come straight into a professorship without a doctorate. His highest qualification was a masters from the [[University of Southern California]] that he finally completed after ''Apollo 11'' by presenting a report on various aspects of Apollo instead of a thesis on simulation of [[hypersonic]] flight. The official job title he received at Cincinnati was University Professor of aerospace engineering. After teaching for 8 years he resigned in 1979 due to other commitments and changes in the university structure from independent municipal school to state-school.<ref>Ibid, pages 590–594</ref>

====Spaceflight====

He served on two spaceflight accident investigations, the first in 1970 for ''[[Apollo 13]]''. As part of Edgar Cortwright's panel, he produced a detailed chronology of the flight. He personally opposed the recommendation of the report to completely redesign the service module's oxygen tanks, the source of the explosion.<ref>Ibid, pages 60–603</ref> President [[Ronald Reagan]] appointed him to the Presidential Commission that investigated the [[Space Shuttle Challenger disaster|Space Shuttle ''Challenger'' disaster]] in 1986. Acting as vice-chairman of the [[Rogers Commission Report|Rogers Commission]] he was in charge of the operational side of the commission.<ref>Ibid, pages 610–616</ref>

====Business activities====

After retiring from NASA in 1971, he avoided offers from businesses to act as a spokesperson, or to be the company astronaut. The first company to successfully approach him was [[Chrysler Corporation]] for whom he appeared in advertising from January 1979. The reason for the change of heart was that Armstrong thought they had a strong engineering part of their business and were also in financial difficulty. He acted as a spokesperson for other companies, including General Time Corporation and the Bankers Association of America. He only acts as a spokesperson for United States businesses.<ref>Ibid, pages 595–596</ref>

Along with acting as a spokesperson, he also served on the board of several companies including [[Marathon Oil]], [[Lear Jet]], [[Cincinnati Gas & Electric Company]], [[Taft Broadcasting]], [[United Airlines]], [[Eaton Corporation]], AIL Systems, and [[Thiokol]]. The last he joined after serving on the [[Rogers Commission Report|Rogers Commission]] investigating the [[Space Shuttle Challenger disaster|Space Shuttle ''Challenger'' disaster]] caused by a problem with the Thiokol manufactured [[Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster|Solid Rocket Booster]]s. At the time of his divorce from Janet in 1994, these various positions had increased the couple's net worth to about $US 2 million.<ref>Ibid, pages 594–600</ref> He retired from the position of chairman of the board of [[EDO Corporation]] in 2002.<ref>{{cite press release|publisher=EDO Corporation|date=[[2000-02-08]] | title=EDO Corporation CEO James M. Smith to become Chairman upon retirement of Neil A. Armstrong | url=http://www.edocorp.com/pr2002/02r0208.htm | accessdate=2006-07-01}}</ref>

====Personal life====

The first man to walk on the Moon was also approached by political parties from both ends of the spectrum. He has turned down all these offers (unlike former astronauts and [[United States Senate|senators]] [[John Glenn]] and [[Harrison Schmitt]]). Personally, he identifies most with [[Thomas Jefferson|Jeffersonian]] [[republic]]anism, being for [[states' rights]] and against the United States acting as the world's policeman.<ref>James R. Hansen, ''First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong'', Simon & Schuster, 2005, pages 600–601</ref>

In 1972, Neil Armstrong was welcomed into the town of [[Langholm]], [[Scotland]], the traditional seat of [[Clan Armstrong]]. The astronaut was made the first freeman of the burgh, and happily declared the town his home.<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/aboutus/wirelesstoweb/decades/clip_display.shtml?decade=70s&amp;amp;clip_name=armstrong&amp;amp;size=v&amp;amp;media_type=video BBC Scotland video of the visit]</ref> The chief magistrate read from an unrepealed 400-year-old law that required him to hang any Armstrong found in the town.<ref>[http://www.paperbackdigital.com/t_ebook_excerpt.php?s=3&c=105&tid=9052 "First Man", page 1]</ref>

While skiing with friends at [[Aspen, Colorado]] in February 1991, he suffered a mild [[heart attack]]. It came a year after his father had died and nine months since the death of his mother. During this period, he was separated from Janet and they were in the process of getting a divorce. She had become bored with being alone on their 300-acre farm, while Neil was away with his business responsibilities. The final straw came when she had to organize a holiday away a year in advance to fit into his schedule. He returned home in 1989 after a business trip to find her gone and a note saying she was leaving him.

He met his second wife, Carol Held Knight, in 1992 at a golf tournament. Seated together at the breakfast, she said little to one of the most famous people in history, but a couple of weeks later received a call from him asking what she was doing. She replied she was cutting down a cherry tree and 35 minutes later he was at her house to help out. They were married on [[June 12]], [[1994]] in Ohio, and then had a second ceremony at San Ysidro Ranch in California. According to Neil's friends, he became almost a new man after meeting Carol.

Since 1994, he has refused any requests for [[autograph]]s after he found that his signed items were selling for large amounts of money and that many forgeries are in circulation. Often items reach prices of US$1,000 on auction sites like [[eBay]]. Signed photographs of the ''Apollo 11'' crew can sell for $5,000. Any requests sent to him receive a form letter in reply saying that he has stopped signing. Although his no autograph policy is well known, author [[Andrew Smith (author)|Andrew Smith]] watched people at the 2002 [[Reno Air Races]] still try to get signatures, even saying, "If you shove something close enough in front of his face, he'll sign."<ref>Smith, A.: "Moondust.", page 134. Bloomsbury, 2005</ref> Along with autographs, he has stopped sending out congratulatory letters to new Eagle Scouts. The reason is that he thinks these letters should come from people who know the scout personally.<ref>"First Man", page 623</ref>

[[Image:Neil Armstrong 2004.jpg|thumb|Armstrong and presidential dog [[Barney (dog)|Barney]] in the [[White House]] Garden Room, [[July 21]], [[2004]] during celebrations of the 35th anniversary of the ''Apollo 11'' flight]]

He is often asked by the press for his views on the future of spaceflight. In 2005, Armstrong said that a [[human spaceflight|human voyage]] to [[Mars]] will be easier than the [[Project Apollo|lunar challenge]] of the 1960s: "I suspect that even though the various questions are difficult and many, they are not as difficult and many as those we faced when we started the Apollo (space program) in 1961." Armstrong also recalled his initial concerns about the ''Apollo 11'' mission. He had believed there was only a 50 percent chance of landing on the moon. "I was elated, ecstatic and extremely surprised that we were successful," he said.

====Lawsuits====

Usage of his name, image, and famous quote has caused problems over the years for Armstrong. He sued [[Hallmark Cards]] in 1994 after they used his name and a recording of "one small step" quote in a [[Christmas tree]] [[Christmas ornament|ornament]] without permission. The lawsuit was settled out of court for an undisclosed amount of money which Armstrong donated to Purdue. The case caused Armstrong and NASA to be more careful about the usage of astronaut names, photographs and recording. For non-profit and government public-service announcements, he will usually give permission. He is also now much more careful about his record keeping with regard to whom he has granted permission. Around the United States, there are over a dozen [[Primary education|elementary]], [[Middle school|middle]] and [[high school]]s named in his honor. In Wapakoneta there is the [[Armstrong Air and Space Museum]] though this has no official affiliation with Armstrong.<ref>{{cite web | last = Knight | first = Andy | title = To the moon: Armstrong space museum offers history lessons on space travel | publisher = Cincinnati.Com | date = Winter 2000 | url = http://www.cincinnati.com/visitorsguide/stories/012800_moon.html | accessdate = 2006-07-01}}</ref>

In May 2005, Armstrong became involved in an unusual legal battle with his barber of 20 years, Marx Sizemore of [[Lebanon, Ohio]]. After cutting Armstrong's hair, Sizemore sold some of it to a collector for $3,000 without Armstrong's knowledge or consent. Armstrong threatened legal action unless the barber returned the hair or donated the proceeds to a charity of Armstrong's choosing.<ref>About.com, "[http://history1900s.about.com/b/a/176268.htm Barber Sold Neil Armstrong's Hair]." (June 5, 2005)</ref> Sizemore, unable to get the hair back, decided to donate the proceeds to the charity that Armstrong chose.

==Armstrong in popular culture==

His youth is the source of many [[apocrypha]]l stories. One involved an amateur astronomer in Wapakoneta called Jacob Zint. In the lead up to the ''Apollo 11'' flight, newspaper stories emerged that Armstrong had spent many hours with Zint looking at the moon. Armstrong says that he only looked through Zint's telescope once, during a trip there with Boy Scout Troop 14. Another story involved his high school science teacher, John Crites, who said that Neil had told him that he hoped to walk on the Moon some day, which Armstrong responds is false. At the time, all his thoughts were towards aviation and not the far off dream of spaceflight.<ref>"First Man", pages 43–45</ref>

An assumption widespread in [[Muslim]] countries is that when Armstrong (and Aldrin) were on the Moon, they heard a strange singing voice that they discovered was the [[adhan]] (Islamic call to prayer), and that this caused them to convert to Islam after their flight. In March 1983, the [[United States Department of State]] released a press statement for embassies and consulates in Muslim countries that attempted to dispel the myth noting that Armstrong had not moved to the country of [[Lebanon]], nor converted to Islam.<ref>Ibid, pages 630–632</ref>

In 1991, Armstrong was inducted into the [[Aerospace Walk of Honor]].

Armstrong was played by Mark Wheeler in the 1995 film ''[[Apollo 13 (film)|Apollo 13]]'', by Jeffrey Nordling in the 1996 TV movie ''Apollo 11'', and by [[Tony Goldwyn]] in the 1998 miniseries ''[[From the Earth to the Moon (HBO)|From the Earth to the Moon]]''.

His authorized biography was published in 2005, written by James R. Hansen, a professor of history at [[Auburn University]] in Alabama. The process began in October 1999, when Hansen had first written to Armstrong asking if he could write the book. At first Armstrong told him that he was too busy and had already turned down several previous offers, from authors such as [[Stephen Ambrose]] and [[James A. Michener]]. Hansen persisted, sending what he described as a "goody box" of his books, including a biography called ''From the Ground Up'', about aircraft designer [[Fred Weick]]. Armstrong was impressed with the style of the book and in June 2002, Armstrong and Hansen signed a formal agreement. Two months later, Armstrong signed a letter for Hansen that said Hansen had his full support and encouraged others to provide what he needed to write the book.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-013003b.html#100305|title=Discovering the Man Behind 'First Man'|author=John McGauley|date=[[14 October]] [[2005]]|publisher=collectSPACE.com}}</ref>

==References==

{{wikiquote}}

{{Commons}}

<div class="references-small">

*{{cite book | author=James R. Hansen | title=First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong | publisher=Simon & Schuster | year=2005 | id=ISBN 0-7432-5631-X}}

*{{cite book | author=Gene Kranz | title=Failure is not an Option: Mission Control From Mercury to Apollo 13 and Beyond | publisher=Simon & Schuster | year=2000 | id=ISBN 0-7432-0079-9}}

*{{cite book | author=Andrew Smith | title=In Search of the Men Who Fell to Earth: Moondust | publisher=Bloomsbury | year=2005 | id=ISBN 0-7475-6368-3}}

* Thompson, Milton O. (1992) ''At The Edge Of Space: The X-15 Flight Program'', Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington and London. ISBN 1-56098-107-5

*Eric M. Jones (1995). [http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/alsj/a11/a11.step.html Apollo 11 Lunar Surface Journal]. Retrieved January 26, 2006.

*Scott Cornish, Tahir Rahman, Bob McLeod, Ken Havekotte and John Reznikoff. [http://www.collectspace.com/resources/autographs_armstrong.html Neil Armstrong Signature Exemplars]. Retrieved January 26, 2006.

*''Cambridge Biographical Dictionary.'' Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 1990. </div>

==Notes==

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<div class="references-small" style="-moz-column-count:2; column-count:2;">

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==External links==

*[http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/armstrong-na.html Neil Armstrong's Official NASA Biography]

*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9XBAxdKVRE Neil Armstrong's First Words on the Moon] Video

*[http://www.maniacworld.com/Apollo_11_2.htm Neil Armstrong's First Words on the Moon] Audio

*[http://www.nasa.gov/vision/space/features/armstrong_ambassador_of_exploration.html Neil Armstrong Honored as an Ambassador of Exploration]

* [http://www.newyorker.com/critics/books/?051003crbo_books Profile from the New Yorker]

*[http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/node/717 Armstrong's Moon landing speech rewritten], ''Cosmos'' magazine, October 2006

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