Neil Armstrong

Neil Armstrong

Background

Neil Armstrong was born in Wapakoneta, Ohio in the year 1930. His services as a pilot were called upon during the Korean War. Shortly after graduating from Purdue University in 1955, Armstrong joined the National

Aeronautics and Space Administration, then known as the National Advisory

Committee for Aeronautics. At the time the functions of the N.A.C. were to plan, direct, and conduct all United States aeronautical and space activities, except for those that were primarily military. Armstrong served as a civilian test pilot at Edwards Air Base in Lancaster, California. In 1962 Armstrong became the first civilian to enter the astronaut-training program.

Gemini VII Mission

In March of 1966, Armstrong completed his training and became the command pilot of the Gemini 8 mission. The crew of this mission was made up of

David R. Scott and himself. In case of any emergencies with the two men before the launch, either physical or mental, a backup crew was made. The backup crew consisted of Charles Conrad Junior, and Richard Gordon Junior. The objectives of the mission were:

A. (Main) Rendezvous and dock with Gemini Agena target vehicle (GATV) and conduct EVA operations.

B. (Secondary) Rendezvous and dock in the 4th revolution. Perform docked-vehicle maneuvers, Evaluate systems and conduct 10 experiments.

The mission was set to launch on March 15, 1966. Due to mino...