Reply With QuoteWill never be forgotten
RIP
Died today following complications after a heart operation three weeks ago.
Will never be forgotten
RIP
Incredible, I just read that. Very sad.
What a life he had tho !!
This is news to me - shocked, what a legend.
What a life. RIP
Very sad, a true legend in my life time RIP
One of our modern worlds truly inspirational heroes.....What a great shame however what a great life he lead!!
Last edited by Hobbes; 25th August 2012 at 20:29.
OMG - Sad loss to mankind.
A true pioneer.
When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks long into you.........
+1 a true loss! :(Originally Posted by Chris_in_the_UK
Will go down in history as one of the most famous men ever - a legend indeed.
Respect and good journey Neil, RIP.
A quite remarkable man .
First I've heard of it! How sad.
Legend, RIP
RIP Neil. What a shame.
I was sorry to hear that - a true pioneer.
Same.
Very sad. RIP
A true hero to me ever since I watched the moon landing and I actually got to meet him and shake his hand.
Very, very sad indeed to hear of his passing.
R
Ignorance breeds Fear. Fear breeds Hatred. Hatred breeds Ignorance. Break the chain.
I am absolutely shocked and really upset.
I have a signed photograph of him on my wall - perhaps my most treasured possession.
A remarkable man, and one of the greatest human beings in history.
So clever my foot fell off.
Unforgettable......
The word 'legend' fits this man perfectly...
Lets rejoice in the life that the man was blessed with and we were blessed to share.
Very sad.
It's possible to overstate his importance in one sense - he was not responsible for the initiative to land people on the moon, for which he became a figurehead. It would have happened without him, probably on the same day. But nonetheless it was he who became, to my mind, the single most important person in human history.
It is impossible to overstate the meaning of that event, forty-three years ago. That second when he descended the ladder to plant his feet on the dusty soil of the Moon is to my mind the single most significant event not only in the story of our species but possibly in the timeline of our planet.
RIP, A true hero of mine who will never be forgotten.
A legend in the true sense - RIP
Thats a great shame, truly
RIAC
A statement from his family:
"We are heartbroken to share the news that Neil Armstrong has passed away following complications resulting from cardiovascular procedures.
"Neil was our loving husband, father, grandfather, brother and friend.
"Neil Armstrong was also a reluctant American hero who always believed he was just doing his job.
"He served his Nation proudly, as a navy fighter pilot, test pilot, and astronaut. He also found success back home in his native Ohio in business and academia, and became a community leader in Cincinnati.
"He remained an advocate of aviation and exploration throughout his life and never lost his boyhood wonder of these pursuits.
"As much as Neil cherished his privacy, he always appreciated the expressions of good will from people around the world and from all walks of life.
"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 people 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 greater than themselves.
"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."
And given the uncertainties of a return journey to earth one of the bravest adventurers ever.
The terms "legend" and "hero" are overused these days but in this case, they do not seem enough.
RIP and Thanks.
Such a shame, a real legend
Very sad indeed... he was a truly great man who did a truly extraordinary thing.
Sad news. He was a real hero and a real legend in a world full of fakes. Gone on his greatest adventure.
RIP.
Sad, but a good life and a good innings... Oddly just watched a summer blockbuster where Amstrong's pivotal moment is part of the plot. Strange things happen sometimes....
there are now 5 seperate threads running on this currently
A phrase in his family's statement sums it up, he was a good man.
But as others have said, what a life he had, he certainly seemed to make the most of it.
An inspirational character who will be missed.
A legend indeed and as his family said, a good man. A great epitaph. RIP.
Maybe we all put our Speedmasters on for a week, as some sort of mark of respect?
I've been wearing my 1969 one as I retrieved it from my safety deposit box yesterday for the first time in months or even years. Prompted by the arrival of a strap rather than a premonition, but quite a coincidence nevertheless.
+1
First thing I did when I heard the news, put on my Moonie.
There are very few men on this planet who can claim a genuine 'first'.
But this mans 'first' surely has to rank first out of all other "firsts".
...and you have commented in each of them with the same reply. Strange.
RIP Neil, as everyone has said before, a true legend.
Sad times RIP.
He was a giant among men. Along with his fellow Apollo astronauts, he demonstrated fantastic courage and skill simultaneously.
Many people are unaware of the first words actually said from the moon. As the LM landed, Armstrong and Aldrin had to secure the systems and arm the abort guidance computer incase they needed to make a fast getaway:
"Contact light! Okay, engine stop. ACA – out of detent. Mode control – both auto. Descent engine command override off. Engine arm – off. 413 is in.”
Only after this did Neil say "Houston, Tranquility base here. The Eagle has landed."
A great, great man has passed.
Very sad...a true pioneer
What sad news.
The passing of a true hero.
I remember watching him descend that ladder all those years ago.
His coolness under pressure was legendary and just the right selection to lead the Apollo 11 expedition.
RIP Neil.
I will be wearing this today with those immortal words....
Cheers,
Neil.
can't add much than has already been said. 'The Right Stuff' seemed to sum it up for me. RIP
Sad news indeed. He carried himself with great dignity and humility in the face of the almost unfathomable weight of expectation and demand from the world around him. RIP
jeff
This might be of interest with regard to courage and skill - it's from someone who works for the European Space Agency and is from another forum I frequent. By way of context, it was in response to a post querying whether or not it was something that anybody could have done:
You have to be incredibly talented to do what he did, nevertheless there's millions of people who could have done it. But that's not the point, going to the moon is crazily difficult. He (and Aldrin and Collins) managed it under extreme pressure and with the world watching: It needs skill and that needs balls, it's the reason he's admired so greatly.
To try to illustrate what he and Aldrin encountered, imagine this: It's 1969 and you're in the lunar module, all that's protecting you from the vacuum of space is a couple of layers of fabric and tin foil. You're a few tens of thousand feet above the Moon, which you can't really see right now, and below your feet you can feel the small rocket that is slowing you down. It's soft, a bit like an elevator starting to move upward. Then the radar switches on and there's alarms going off everywhere, alarms you've never seen before and have no idea what they mean. The guys on Earth say it's not a problem so you switch it off, but it comes back on over and over again.You still have no idea what the problem is and have to trust Houston that it's okay.
Now you can finally see the lunar surface clearly - and you can see that you're coming down into the middle of a boulder field mixed in with some craters. Not a good place to land. Aldrin says you have 40 seconds of fuel left. This is the last point you can abort, any lower and you'll crash into the Moon before the escape rocket can fire - but you still can't see a safe place to land. Finally you see a nice flat place to land and begin to descend with 30 seconds of fuel left. Finally, with about 20-25 seconds of fuel left, the lunar module feet touch the Moon and you're safe. Not only that but the Apollo programme is successful, Kennedy's promise came true and the work of millions of Americans has paid off.
People talk about football players being big game players, scoring in the CL final or taking a penalty in Euro 2012. But that's nothing. Nothing at all. Flying over boulder fields with alarms going off, less than 30 seconds of fuel and knowing that any mistake will kill you? That's being a big game player. That's why Armstrong is so well respected, he stayed cool through all of that.
Even apart from Apollo 11 he was damned good. He flew 70-odd missions in the Korean war and was shot down once. Then he flew as a test-pilot (crashing a few times on the way) and flew to the edge of space in the X-15 rocket plane. He also flew on the Gemini 8 mission that, IMO, was as impressive as Apollo 11. Things went badly wrong on Gemini 8 but together with Dave Scott he managed to get things sorted and bring it safely back to Earth. It was probably the most dangerous US space accident until Apollo 13, the crew were incredibly close to being killed. Yet only an hour or so later, after an emergency re-entry, he could still look damned cool (on the right):
And whilst this isn't Apollo footage, it's well put together, featuring An Ending (Ascent) from Brian Eno's 1983 album Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks.
Finally, the full edit of Moonwalk One is available on YouTube - well worth a watch.
Last edited by Seabadger; 26th August 2012 at 09:54.
Sad news. RIP.
RIP indeed
A link to the Gemini 8 mission - these guys were tough under pressure!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gemini_8
very sad news, RIP a brave and humble man
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