A request is being made to a Scottish council to host a special service in memory of Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon.
On Saturday August 25, 2012, a true American hero lost his life. Neil Armstrong was the first person to bravely leave our world behind and set foot on another. On July 21, 1969, he walked on the moon.
To be a young girl witnessing this amazing--and I don't use that term lightly--this amazing feat would have changed my life in ways unimaginable. But I wasn't alive in 1969. And by the time I even became aware of NASA's existence, a total of twelve people had stepped foot on the lunar surface. They were individual explorers, as are all of the fearless men and women in the space program. But their personal accomplishments mean more to me as a whole. They embody a spirit of exploration, uniting a nation--no, the world--and proving to us just what is possible.
Neil wasn't the only astronaut who passed away this year. On February sixth, Janice Voss, science director for NASA's Kepler Space Observatory, died. She left our planet on five separate occasions to fly in space. And Alan Poindexter, Navy Captain and shuttle pilot on two trips to the international space station, lost his life on July first. On July 23, Sally Ride, the first American woman in space passed away. To this day, she remains the youngest astronaut to leave Earth in her taillights.
Many astronauts live their lives quietly, humbly, insisting they're simply doing the job they were called upon to do. This humility was epitomized by Neil Armstrong. Upon his passing, his family issued this statement: "For those who may ask what they can do to honor Neil, we have a simple request. Honor his example of service, accomplishment and modesty, and the next time you walk outside on a clear night and see the moon smiling down at you, think of Neil Armstrong and give him a wink."
To be a young girl witnessing this amazing--and I don't use that term lightly--this amazing feat would have changed my life in ways unimaginable. But I wasn't alive in 1969. And by the time I even became aware of NASA's existence, a total of twelve people had stepped foot on the lunar surface. They were individual explorers, as are all of the fearless men and women in the space program. But their personal accomplishments mean more to me as a whole. They embody a spirit of exploration, uniting a nation--no, the world--and proving to us just what is possible.
Neil wasn't the only astronaut who passed away this year. On February sixth, Janice Voss, science director for NASA's Kepler Space Observatory, died. She left our planet on five separate occasions to fly in space. And Alan Poindexter, Navy Captain and shuttle pilot on two trips to the international space station, lost his life on July first. On July 23, Sally Ride, the first American woman in space passed away. To this day, she remains the youngest astronaut to leave Earth in her taillights.
Many astronauts live their lives quietly, humbly, insisting they're simply doing the job they were called upon to do. This humility was epitomized by Neil Armstrong. Upon his passing, his family issued this statement: "For those who may ask what they can do to honor Neil, we have a simple request. Honor his example of service, accomplishment and modesty, and the next time you walk outside on a clear night and see the moon smiling down at you, think of Neil Armstrong and give him a wink."
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