NASA Apollo 11 Astronaut – Neil A. Armstrong

Full‑Colour 8" x 10" Portrait

Celebrate the legacy of Neil A. Armstrong, the quiet, brilliant pioneer who became the first human to set foot on the Moon.

PERSONAL BACKGROUND

Born August 5, 1930, in Wapakoneta, Ohio. Married, father of two.

EDUCATION

•     B.S. in Aeronautical Engineering, Purdue University
•     M.S. in Aerospace Engineering, University of Southern California
•     Recipient of numerous honorary doctorates

HONOURS & AWARDS

Armstrong earned some of the nation’s highest distinctions, including:
•     Presidential Medal of Freedom (1969)
•     Robert H. Goddard Memorial Trophy (1970)
•     Robert J. Collier Trophy (1969)
•     Congressional Space Medal of Honor (1978)

EARLY CAREER

A U.S. Navy aviator from 1949–1952, Armstrong flew 78 combat missions during the Korean War.
From 1971–1979, he served as a professor of aerospace engineering at the University of Cincinnati, later becoming Chairman of AIL Systems, Inc.

NASA & FLIGHT EXPERIENCE

Armstrong joined NACA—NASA’s predecessor—as a research pilot, later flying at the famed High Speed Flight Station at Edwards AFB. He tested cutting‑edge aircraft including the 4,000 mph X‑15, and logged flights in over 200 different aircraft.

ASTRONAUT ACHIEVEMENTS

•     Gemini 8 (1966): Command pilot; performed the first successful docking in space

•     Apollo 11 (1969): Mission Commander; first human to land a spacecraft on the Moon and the first to step onto its surface—an achievement that changed history forever.

After Apollo, Armstrong served as Deputy Associate Administrator for Aeronautics at NASA Headquarters before resigning in 1971.

Note: This is the official NASA biographical version (December 1993). Any updates must be obtained directly from the individual.