lived in Indian Hill, Ohio.
Astronaut career Tere was no defining moment in Armstrong’s decision to become an astronaut. In 1958, he was selected for the U.S. Air Force’s Man In Space Soonest program. In November 1960, Armstrong was chosen as part of the pilot consultant group for the Boeing X-20 Dyna-Soar, a military space plane, and on March 15, 1962, he was named as one of six pilot-en- gineers who would fly the space plane when it got off the design board.
In the months after the announce- ment that applications were being sought for the second group of NASA astronauts, Armstrong became more and more excited about the prospects of both the Apollo program, and of investigating a new aeronautical en- vironment. Armstrong’s astronaut application arrived about a week past the June 1, 1962, deadline. Luckily Dick Day, with whom Armstrong had worked closely at Edwards, saw the late arrival of the application and slipped it into the pile before anyone noticed. At Brooks City-Base at the end of June, Armstrong underwent a medical exam that many of the ap- plicants described as painful and at times seemingly pointless.
Deke Slayton called Armstrong on September 13, 1962, and asked whether he would be interested in joining the NASA Astronaut Corps as part of what the press dubbed “the New Nine”; without hesitation,
Armstrong said yes. Te selections were kept secret until three days later, although newspaper reports had been circulating since earlier that year that he would be selected as the “first ci- vilian astronaut”. Armstrong was one of two civilian pilots selected for the second group, the other being Elliot See who, like Armstrong, had been a Naval Aviator. Armstrong did not be- come the first civilian to fly in space, as the Russians had launched Vostok 6 on June 16, 1963, with Valentina Tereshkova, a textile worker and am- ateur parachutist, aboard.
Illness and death Armstrong underwent surgery on August 7, 2012, to relieve blocked coronary arteries. He died on August 25, in Cincinnati, Ohio, following complications resulting from these cardiovascular procedures. Soon after his death, Armstrong was described in a statement released by the White House as “among the greatest of American heroes — not just of his time, but of all time.”
His family released a statement de- scribing Armstrong as a “reluctant American hero [who] served his na- tion proudly as a navy fighter pi- lot, test pilot, and astronaut”, and added “While we mourn the loss of a very good man, we also celebrate his remarkable life and hope that it serves as an example to young peo- ple around the world to work hard to make their dreams come true, to be willing to explore and push the limits, and to selflessly serve a cause
Creative Commons greater than themselves.”
Armstrong’s colleague on the Apollo 11 mission, Buzz Aldrin, commented that he was “very saddened to learn of the passing. I know I am joined by millions of others in mourning the passing of a true American hero and the best pilot I ever knew.” Apollo 11 command module pilot Michael Collins said simply, “He was the best, and I will miss him terribly.” NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said that Armstrong will be “remembered for taking humankind’s first small step on a world beyond our own”.
Armstrong’s family statement paid the tribute “For those who may ask what they can do to honor Neil, we have a simple request. Honor his ex- ample 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.” Tis prompted many respons- es, including the Twitter hashtag “#WinkAtTeMoon”.
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