BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Neil Armstrong was born on August 5, 1930 to Stephen and Viola Armstrong in Wapakoneta, Ohio. Armstrong grew up with his siblings June and Dean in over twenty different towns in Ohio because his father was an auditor for the Ohio state government. Even when he was growing up, Armstrong was fascinated by flying and space however, his biggest passion was Boy Scouts. Before he graduated in 1955 with a masters degree, he went to Blume high school. He went on two space mission for NASA before retiring and becoming a college professor, then a buissness man studying space and aeronautics. He married Janet Shearon and had three children, Eric, Karen and Marc but Karen sadly died of a brain tumour in January 1962. Neil Armstrong died on August 25, 2012 in Cincinnati.
MILITARY SERVICE
When Armstrong was halfway through his time at college, he was called to serve in the U.S. Navy. He had to serve in the Korean War, during his time fighting in the Korean War, he flew 78 combat planes. After this he got to go to university on a U.S. Navy scholarship.
WHY NEIL ARMSTRONG WENT TO THE MOON
Neil Armstrong loved planes and space from a young age, when he was only five, his father took him to his first plane flight in Warren, Ohio. Neil Armstrong got to ride in a Ford Trimoter. Then, when he was in high school, he took flying lessons in a local air field until he got his pilot's licence when he was only 16. A year later, he started studying aeronautical engineering at Purdue university. He then spent 121 hours in the air when he flew 78 planes in the Korean War on August 29, 1951. Before he joined NASA in 1955, he worked for a group that studied airplanes. In 1958, he was selected for the MAN IN SPACE SOONEST program. This inspired him to become the first man on the moon. In the next few years, he worked as hard as he could, training every day to become an amazing astronaut. During this time, he set records in the X-15 rocket plane. Then in 1966, he commanded Gemini 8 with David Scott. They were the first astronauts to dock and connect two vehicles in space. However Gemini 8 landed in the Pacific Ocean only eleven hours after it was launched. They had to be rescued by U.S.S Mason. This gave Neil Armstrong the determination to become the first man on the moon.
MOON LANDING
Apollo 8 was the mission that landed on the moon. This was Neil Armstrong's second mission which took four days, 16-20 July 1969. Neil Armstrong was the mission commander however there were two other men on the rocket, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins. Neil Armstong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon in a lander named "eagle". Neil Armstrong was the first person to step on to the moon at 10.56 PM on 20th July 1969. As he stepped he said, "that's one small step for man; one giant leap for mankind. While Armstrong and Aldrin where walking on the moon, collecting rocks and taking photos, Collins was circling the moon in the Apollo capsule. Armstrong and Aldrin then docked with Collins and all three of them flew back to earth. Apollo 8 landed to the west of Hawaii and the three men were put into quarantine for three weeks. They all received awards for their achievements including the medal of freedom and the congressional space medal of honour.
Neil Armstrong was born on August 5, 1930 to Stephen and Viola Armstrong in Wapakoneta, Ohio. Armstrong grew up with his siblings June and Dean in over twenty different towns in Ohio because his father was an auditor for the Ohio state government. Even when he was growing up, Armstrong was fascinated by flying and space however, his biggest passion was Boy Scouts. Before he graduated in 1955 with a masters degree, he went to Blume high school. He went on two space mission for NASA before retiring and becoming a college professor, then a buissness man studying space and aeronautics. He married Janet Shearon and had three children, Eric, Karen and Marc but Karen sadly died of a brain tumour in January 1962. Neil Armstrong died on August 25, 2012 in Cincinnati.
MILITARY SERVICE
When Armstrong was halfway through his time at college, he was called to serve in the U.S. Navy. He had to serve in the Korean War, during his time fighting in the Korean War, he flew 78 combat planes. After this he got to go to university on a U.S. Navy scholarship.
WHY NEIL ARMSTRONG WENT TO THE MOON
Neil Armstrong loved planes and space from a young age, when he was only five, his father took him to his first plane flight in Warren, Ohio. Neil Armstrong got to ride in a Ford Trimoter. Then, when he was in high school, he took flying lessons in a local air field until he got his pilot's licence when he was only 16. A year later, he started studying aeronautical engineering at Purdue university. He then spent 121 hours in the air when he flew 78 planes in the Korean War on August 29, 1951. Before he joined NASA in 1955, he worked for a group that studied airplanes. In 1958, he was selected for the MAN IN SPACE SOONEST program. This inspired him to become the first man on the moon. In the next few years, he worked as hard as he could, training every day to become an amazing astronaut. During this time, he set records in the X-15 rocket plane. Then in 1966, he commanded Gemini 8 with David Scott. They were the first astronauts to dock and connect two vehicles in space. However Gemini 8 landed in the Pacific Ocean only eleven hours after it was launched. They had to be rescued by U.S.S Mason. This gave Neil Armstrong the determination to become the first man on the moon.
MOON LANDING
Apollo 8 was the mission that landed on the moon. This was Neil Armstrong's second mission which took four days, 16-20 July 1969. Neil Armstrong was the mission commander however there were two other men on the rocket, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins. Neil Armstong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon in a lander named "eagle". Neil Armstrong was the first person to step on to the moon at 10.56 PM on 20th July 1969. As he stepped he said, "that's one small step for man; one giant leap for mankind. While Armstrong and Aldrin where walking on the moon, collecting rocks and taking photos, Collins was circling the moon in the Apollo capsule. Armstrong and Aldrin then docked with Collins and all three of them flew back to earth. Apollo 8 landed to the west of Hawaii and the three men were put into quarantine for three weeks. They all received awards for their achievements including the medal of freedom and the congressional space medal of honour.