Neil Armstrong by Buz Aldrin

Posted on August 27, 2012 | 21 Comments

Buzz Aldrin, accompanied Neil Armstrong in the historic Apollo 11 moon landing. He has put up this lovely photo of Neil Armstrong, and a statement commemorating his passing, on his website.

I am deeply saddened by the passing of my good friend, and space exploration companion, Neil Armstrong today. As Neil, Mike Collins and I trained together for our historic Apollo 11 Mission, we understood the many technical challenges we faced, as well as the importance and profound implications of this historic journey. We will now always be connected as the crew of the Apollo 11 mission to the moon, yet for the many millions who witnessed that remarkable achievement for humankind, we were not alone.

Whenever I look at the moon I am reminded of that precious moment, over four decades ago, when Neil and I stood on the desolate, barren, yet beautiful, Sea of Tranquility, looking back at our brilliant blue planet Earth suspended in the darkness of space, I realized that even though we were farther away from earth than two humans had ever been, we were not alone. Virtually the entire world took that memorable journey with us. I know I am joined by many millions of others from around the world in mourning the passing of a true American hero and the best pilot I ever knew. My friend Neil took the small step but giant leap that changed the world and will forever be remembered as a historic moment in human history.

I had truly hoped that on July 20th, 2019, Neil, Mike and I would be standing together to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of our moon landing, as we also anticipated the continued expansion of humanity into space, that our small mission helped make possible. Regrettably, this is not to be. Neil will most certainly be there with us in spirit.

On behalf of the Aldrin family, we extend our deepest condolences to Carol and the entire Armstrong family. I will miss my friend Neil as I know our fellow citizens and people around world will miss this foremost aviation and space pioneer.

May he Rest in Peace, and may his vision for our human destiny in space be his legacy.

BUZZ ALDRIN

Thanks to:  Buzz Aldrin’s Official Statement on the Passing of Neil Armstrong.
See also: @TheRealBuzz

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21 responses to “Neil Armstrong by Buz Aldrin”

  1. RossN | August 27, 2012 at 2:48 pm |

    Neil’s passing adds a sombre moment to the end (temporary?) of an era – manned space exploration. It was an exciting time for space enthusiasts, that we fondly remember.

    On an tangential note, not many know that most of the astronauts were committed Christians.

    On JULY 20, 1969, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin climbed out of the lunar module Eagle and took their historic first steps on the moon. Several months later Buzz Aldrin told GUIDEPOSTS about a little-known ‘first’ that also took place that day. Before the lift-off, Aldrin was looking for a way to honor God’s presence in the Apollo 11 space mission. He talked about this with his minister, Dean Woodruff of Webster Presbyterian Church in Houston. When in their discussions the Christian sacrament of communion was mentioned, a plan emerged. Two Sundays before the moon shot, Aldrin participated in a small, private communion service at Webster Presbyterian, after which Dean Woodruff broke off a corner of the communion bread and gave it to Aldrin along with a tiny chalice and some wine. Aldrin sealed these in plastic packets and safely stowed them in his personal preference kit (each astronaut was allowed to take a few personal items with him). JULY 20, 1969, was a Sunday. At 3:17 p.m. (Houston time) the Eagle touched down. Aldrin took out the communion elements from their flight packets and put them on a small table in front of the abort guidance-system computer. Then he called Houston, and asked for a few moments of silence. In the one-sixth gravity of the moon, he poured the wine, watching it curl gracefully up the side of the chalice. From a slip of paper he read the biblical passage, ‘I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing’ (John 15:5, Revised Standard Version). And then he took communion.”

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  2. Ken | August 27, 2012 at 3:10 pm |

    Isn’t it very sinful to remove communion wafers like that?

    I saw PZ Myers in Melbourne when he was introduced to Vegemite. He pulled out a communion wafer, smeared vegemite on it and tasted it. I don’t think he was very impressed.

    On a tangential note do you know that the Soyuz crafts get blessed by an orthodox priest before launch. (Mind you they seem to be part of the Russian state apparatus now). These astronauts are a superstitious lot. They also carry out the custom of urinating on the wheels of the bus taking them to the rocket as well – because Gagarin did.

    The scientists and engineers also at JPL also have a custom of eating peanuts just before a landing.

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  3. B Walsh | August 27, 2012 at 3:23 pm |

    I think Armstrong was a climate change skeptic as well, like a lot of his fellow astronauts.

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  4. Ken | August 27, 2012 at 3:32 pm |

    Care to back that up?
    He wasn’t a signatory to the denier letter of ex-NASA employees. You may be confusing him with another ex-astronaut who often speaks for the Heartland Institute.

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  5. B Walsh | August 27, 2012 at 3:37 pm |

    Yes I might be confusing him with Harrison Schmidt.

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  6. RossN | August 27, 2012 at 9:36 pm |

    I think I spotted the climate change skepticism on his Wikipedia page.

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  8. Cedric Katesby | August 28, 2012 at 4:01 am |

    Armstrong was OK. It’s Schmidt who’s brain dead.

    Former NASA Climate Change Deniers – May 9th, 2012

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  9. klem | August 28, 2012 at 7:02 am |

    Yea, I’m pretty sure Armstrong was a climate skeptic. Yea I think that was true.

    cheers

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  10. RossN | August 28, 2012 at 9:16 am |

    My mistake, it was on Buzz Aldrin’s page.

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  11. B Walsh | August 28, 2012 at 11:12 am |

    I did enjoy that bit when Buzz Aldrin punched the Moon landing denier in the mouth

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  12. max | August 28, 2012 at 11:18 am |

    I heard Armstrong repented and admitted the moon does not really exist on his deathbed.

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  13. B Walsh | August 28, 2012 at 11:31 am |

    It’s amazing that people still believe this rubbish. We have pictures of footprints and debris on the moon from recent spacecraft.

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2034594/NASA-moon-landing-hoax-New-photographs-silence-conspiracy-theory.html

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  14. max | August 28, 2012 at 11:37 am |

    No. Apparently Armstrong’s great aunt said that he told her that he now accepts that the moon does not exist and he has confessed all his sins. It is possible he was never a moonist in the first place and he has just been musinterpretted by the moonist elite to back up moonist ideology.

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  15. B Walsh | August 28, 2012 at 12:27 pm |

    Max, that big white thing in the sky that causes tides etc…..

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  17. B Walsh | August 28, 2012 at 1:34 pm |

    No it doesn’t help

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  19. B Walsh | August 28, 2012 at 2:16 pm |

    yawn

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  20. Max | August 28, 2012 at 2:22 pm |

    (it was Irony Walsh – I was making a joke about the myths which emerged about Darwin’s death bed confessions. When you have to spell out a joke it does get yawn-worthy you are right… )

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  21. When is Christmas Day | February 7, 2013 at 10:35 am |

    This is ace! I’m really startled that this is going on in todays world. I am so glad I am not running. The Boss’ have wondered about things in future I will watch closely to see the evolving issues and going forth.

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