Neil Armstrong, First Moon Walker, Passes Away at 82

Neil Armstrong, First Moon Walker, Passes Away at 82
EventHorizon1984
25 August 2012

Neil A. Armstrong, Astronaut, the first man to step¹ upon the surface of the Moon, died today at the age of 82.

Except for those taking the view "history is myth" or the 6% 'fooled twice' type or Internet Trolls, the planetary population knows about Neil Armstrong and the history making Apollo 11 flight.  And over the next few news cycles, people will know much more.

Such as occasional brushes with death.

"If we die, do not mourn for us.  This is a risky business we're in, and we accept those risks."  Virgil "Gus" Grissom

20 April 1962 - X-15

• "The only other alternative at that point would have been Palmdale and I didn't want to get into their traffic pattern."  Neil Armstrong
  

Perhaps not so much as a brush, but more of a 'here's my card' event.

Test pilot Neil Armstrong was flying the X-15 when on the return segment, "the X-15 pulled up and essentially skipped off the top of the atmosphere, returning to space."  In short, instead of final approach to a near-deserted landing area, the X-15 was "gliding" somewhat near or over Los Angeles.

Piloting skill turned a possible disaster into a safe flight home.

"I began to turn back home"
Neil Armstrong

16 March 1966 - Gemini 8

• "We have serious problems here" David Scott

After the first successful docking in space, Gemini 8 Astronauts Neil Armstrong and David Scott experienced a serious thruster problem.

"After backing away from the Agena, the spacecraft had started to whirl at a dizzying rate of one revolution per second. Armstrong suspected that the maneuvering thrusters were about finished. He and Scott were also having trouble seeing the overhead panel dials; their physiological limits seemed near. They were dizzy, and their vision was blurred."

You can view the government style documentary of Gemini 8:

• Gemini 8, This is Houston Flight

Or the dramatized version:

• From The Earth To The Moon

Suffice to say, both men returned safely to the Earth.

6 May 1968 - LLRV

When Landing on the Moon, Practice Makes Perfect

The above photo from NASA, shows what a Lunar Landing Research Vehicle (LLRV) looks like after it crashes.  With the parachutist being Neil Armstrong.

As described:

• "Armstrong made his 21st flight in the vehicle. It was a disaster." ... "about 230 feet above the desert floor the LLRV started pitching forward and picking up speed." ...  "Within seconds Armstrong was flying on his side and realized ejecting was his only recourse.  A little less than 200 feet from the ground he separated from the LLRV." ... "the crash wasn’t related to the design of the LLRV but a problem with the propellant."

20 July 1969 [GMT] - Apollo 11

• "I thought we had a 90% chance of getting back safely to Earth on that flight but only a 50-50 chance of making a landing on that first attempt."  Neil Armstrong

If you're thinking, there was all the time in the world for Neil Armstrong to land the Lunar Module Eagle:

• Mission time 102:45:31  Duke:  "30 seconds."

The "30 seconds" was time remaining until "Bingo"; which meant 'land in 20 seconds or abort.'

• Mission time 102:45:40  Aldrin:  "Contact Light."

Now suppose you're a pilot that manages to land their craft with 21 seconds² of fuel.  Was that all the time in the world?

For video of the landing, from the view of "Buzz" Aldrin's window:

• http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a11/A11Landing.mov

When asked about the reason for closing the Lunar Module hatch:

• "To avoid having somebody say 'Were you born in a barn?'" Neil Armstrong

"Pretty sure the law of the land states that everyone has the right to be an idiot."  Gregory House, M.D., House (2004-2012)

Apparently as Fate would have it, his death was not career related, but more a pernicious ala George S. Patton, Jr.-type event"

• "His family announced the death in a statement and attributed it to “complications resulting from cardiovascular procedures.”"

Routine surgery mind you.

• Neil Armstrong recovers after heart bypass surgery
• BBC News, 8 August 2012
• "Mr Armstrong, who turned 82 on Sunday, had surgery to relieve four blocked coronary arteries."

Much as we would love to comment on this ... and then promptly get sued ... we close with a collection of first words from Neil Armstrong's peers.

First thing said from the surface of the Moon is "Contact ..."

• "Lunar Surface Sensing Probes extended from three landing legs. A sensor on the tip indicated when the lunar surface was touched."

What Apollo Astronauts said when they first set foot upon the Moon:

Apollo 11 - 21 July 1969 [GMT]
Neil Armstrong (1930-2012)
"That's one small step for (a) man, one giant step for mankind."
Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, Jr.  (1930- )
"Beautiful view!  Magnificent desolation."
"Looks like the secondary strut had a little thermal effects on it right here, Neil."

Apollo 12- 19 November 1969 [GMT]
Charles "Pete" Conrad, Jr. (1930-1999)
"Whoopie!  Man, that may have been a small one for Neil, but that's a long one for me."
"Off the ... Oooh, is that soft and queasy."  or "(s)quishy"
Alan Bean  (1932- )
"Okay?  Okay.  My, that Sun is bright."

Apollo 14 - 5 February 1971 [GMT]
Alan Shepard  (1923-1998)
"Okay, you're right. Al is on the surface. And it's been a long way, but we're here."
Edgar Mitchell  (1930- )
"That last one is a long one."

Apollo 15 - 31 July 1971 [GMT]
David Scott  (1932-  )
[long awed silence]
"Ok.  Ah.  Ok Houston as I stand out here in the wonders of the unknown at Hadley, I sort of realize there's a fundamental truth to our nature.  Man must explore.  And this is exploration at its greatest."
James Irwin  (1930-1991)
"Boy, that front pad is really loose, isn't it?"

Apollo 16 - 21 April 1972 [GMT]
John Young  (1930-  )
"Okay.  There you are: Mysterious and Unknown Descartes. Highland plains. Apollo 16 is gonna change your image. I'm sure glad they got ol' Brer Rabbit, here, back in the briar patch where he belongs."
Charles Duke  (1935-  )
"Fantastic! Oh, that first foot on the lunar surface is super, Tony!"

Apollo 17, 11 December 1972 [GMT]
Eugene Cernan  (1934-  )
"I'm on the footpad. And, Houston, as I step off at the surface at Taurus-Littrow, we'd like to dedicate the first step of Apollo 17 to all those who made it possible."
"Jack, I'm out here. Oh, my golly! Unbelievable! Unbelievable; but is it bright in the Sun."
Harrison "Jack" Schmitt  (1935-  )
[Harrison Schmitt - "At some point, and maybe it's here, I stepped down off the ladder onto the sloping side of a boulder which had little balls of glass and debris that made it very slick. And I slipped and my left leg went out from under me. Fortunately, I was still hanging onto the ladder."]
"You landed in a crater!"
"Why don't you come over here and let me deploy your antenna."

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"People love conspiracy theories ... but they were never a concern to me -- because I know that one day somebody's going to fly back up there and pick up that camera I left there."
Neil Armstrong

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1  One will see erroneous articles of Neil Armstrong being the first man to "land" on the Moon.  An error because both Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin were in the Apollo Lunar Module, Eagle, when she landed on the lunar surface.

2  "Post-flight analysis indicated that Neil landed with about 770 pounds of fuel remaining." ... "the remainder would have been enough for about 45 seconds, including about 20 seconds for an abort"

See also:
The 40th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing. Why Bother With Columbus Day??

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