Cosmonaut / Astronaut · National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Neil Armstrong
Apollo 11 commander and the first person to walk on the Moon. He took his first step at 02:56 UTC on 21 July 1969, still 20 July in the United States.
- Born
- 5 Aug 1930
- Died
- 25 Aug 2012
- Spaceflights
- 2
- Time in space
- ≈ 9 days
Missions
Spaceflights
Gemini 8
In March 1966, Gemini 8 achieved the first docking of two spacecraft in orbit. Moments after docking, however, the craft carrying Neil Armstrong and David Scott began to spin uncontrollably — the mission was saved by the commander’s cool-headed emergency response.
1 dayOpen article →
Apollo 11
The first crewed landing on the Moon. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed in the Sea of Tranquility while Michael Collins waited in orbit.
8 daysOpen article →
Timeline
Career at a glance
- 1930Born5 August 1930
- 1966Gemini 816 March 1966
- 1969Apollo 1116 July 1969
- 2012Died25 August 2012
Facts
Things you may not know
His first step on the Moon was accompanied by the famous statement about a small step for a man and a giant leap for mankind.
Before his astronaut career he was an X-15 rocket-plane test pilot, reaching an altitude of approximately 63 km.
Crews
