Apollo 11 goal was set and identified as a national priority by President John F. Kennedy. With astronaut Michael Collins in the command module, Apollo 11 missions primarily aimed at completing a crewed astronaut landing on the Moon and then coming back to Earth. The entire world was in front of their TVs on July 20, 1969, when Apollo 11 astronauts succeeded with their mission. Find out the Apollo astronauts’ names, learn about their careers, and what they have done in life after putting people on the Moon for the very first time in history.
What are Apollo astronauts’ names?
Apollo 11 is, without a doubt, the most famous mission of the Apollo space program because it was the first astronaut mission to bring humanity to the Moon. Famous Apollo astronauts that made sure it was a success are Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins. The entire Apollo 11 mission was watched by about 650 million people on TV ever since it started on July 16, 1969, and until Apollo’s return splashdown, which took place on July 24. Three astronauts’ enthusiasm was clear from the Apollo mission started, as Armstrong said that the Saturn rocket gave them a “magnificent” and “beautiful” ride.
Collins was Apollo 11’s command module pilot, while Aldrin piloted Apollo’s lunar module. Armstrong commanded the Apollo team and was the first man to ever step on the Moon. Apollo astronauts’ names will forever be remembered because they accomplished one of Earth’s most difficult and complex missions. Armstrong, Aldrin, and Collins brought home lunar samples, along with precious footage that space experts are still using to work on building a space future for our planet. Thanks to three famous Apollo astronauts, we have space companies, and we’re getting ready to colonize Mars.
Are Apollo astronauts still alive?
Collins and Armstrong are now dead, but people still remember them, considering how important these astronauts’ names are to humanity and space exploration. Orbital Today reports that Buzz Aldrin, real name Edwin Eugene Aldrin, Jr., is the only astronaut alive, at 92 years old. Future astronaut Aldrin was born on January 20, 1930. Collins was born on October 31, 1930, in Rome, Italy, whereas Armstrong, the first man who ever stepped on the Moon’s surface, came into this world on August 5, 1930, in Wapakoneta, Ohio, US. Collins died on April 28, 2021, and Armstrong on August 25, 2012.
Aldrin graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point and joined US Air Force in 1951 to get his pilot training. He was chosen to become an astronaut as part of NASA’s third group in 1963. Armstrong got his student pilot license before even getting his driving license. He trained to become an aeronautical engineer at Edwards Air Force Base in California and transferred to astronaut status in 1962. Collins graduated from US Military Academy at West Point, New York, where he got his bachelor’s degree in science. He was selected for the third astronauts’ group at NASA in 1963.
Where are the Apollo astronauts now?
Now that you know the three most famous Apollo astronauts’ names and that Buzz Aldrin is still alive, you are probably wondering where Collins and Armstrong died, what they did before dying, and what Buzz Aldrin is up to at his age.
Armstrong was infamously coy about his achievements, preferring to concentrate on the team effort that made it possible for him to reach Moon and not on what he did. He said in a CBS interview that all astronauts want to be recognized for all efforts they put in every day rather than for “fireworks.” Even if not in the spotlight, Armstrong remained a member of an aerospace community and died in Cincinnati, Ohio. Armstrong is the most popular Apollo astronaut, as even children in kindergarten know his name.
Collins resigned from NASA in 1970 to work as Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs. A year later, he became Director of the National Air and Space Museum at Smithsonian Institution, where he oversaw the building of a new site. In 1978, Collins was appointed Under Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, and by 1980, he became LTV Aerospace and Defense Company’s VP, only to leave and open his own business in 1985. Collins died in Naples, Florida, US.
Aldrin chronicled his involvement in the American space program in two significant works. He described Apollo 11 mission in “Return to Earth” (published 1970) and then covered some info about space rivalry between the US and USSR in a more comprehensive book published in 1989 and titled “Men from Earth.” Since the 1960s, Aldrin played a significant role in analyzing the US space program. He lives in California, very close to Los Angeles.
While more people followed famous Apollo astronauts to Moon, their names are forever written in history as the first team that paved our way to the stars.
