Legends of Aerospace III

Neil Armstrong:
Astronaut, military pilot, educator. Neil Armstrong made history by becoming the first man to walk on the moon. In 1947, Armstrong began his studies in aeronautical engineering at Purdue University on a U.S. Navy scholarship. His studies were interrupted in 1949 when he was called to serve in the Korean War. A U.S. Navy pilot, Armstrong flew 78 combat missions during this military conflict. He left the service in 1952 and returned to college.

A few years later, Armstrong joined the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), which later became the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). He worked in a number of different capacities, including serving as a test pilot and an engineer. He tested many high-speed aircraft, including the X-15, which could reach a top speed of 4,000 miles per hour.

In 1962, Armstrong joined the astronaut program, and Armstrong served as the command pilot for his first mission, Gemini VIII. He and fellow astronaut, David Scott, launched on March 16, 1966. While in orbit, they were able to briefly dock their space capsule with the Gemini Agena target vehicle. This was the first time two vehicles had successfully docked in space. During this maneuver, however, they experienced some problems and had to cut their mission short. They landed in the Pacific Ocean nearly 11 hours after the mission's start and were later rescued by the U.S.S. Mason.

In 1969, alongside Michael Collins and Edwin E. “Buzz” Aldrin, he was part of NASA's first manned mission to the moon. The trio was launched into space on July 16, 1969. Serving as the mission's commander, Armstrong piloted the Lunar Module to the moon's surface on July 20, 1969, with Buzz Aldrin aboard. Collins remained on the Command Module. At 10:56 p.m., Armstrong exited the Lunar Module. He said, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind," as he made his famous first step on the moon. For about two and a half hours, Armstrong and Aldrin collected samples and conducted experiments. They also took photographs, including their own footprints.

Returning on July 24, 1969, the Apollo 11 craft came down in the Pacific Ocean west of Hawaii. The U.S.S. Hornet picked up the crew, and the craft, and the three astronauts were put into quarantine for three weeks. Before long, the three Apollo 11 astronauts were given a warm welcome home. Crowds lined the streets of New York City to cheer on the famous heroes who were honored in a ticker-tape parade. Armstrong received numerous awards for his efforts, including the Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Space Medal of Honor.


Jim Lovell:
Lovell, a 1952 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, became a test pilot and was selected for the manned space program in 1963 while serving as a flight instructor and safety officer. He accompanied Frank Borman on the record-breaking 14-day flight of Gemini 7. Launched December 4, 1965, Gemini 7 was joined in space by Gemini 6, launched 11 days later, for the first successful space rendezvous. Lovell joined Edwin E. “Buzz” Aldrin for the last flight of the Gemini series, Gemini 12, which was launched on November 11, 1966, and remained in orbit for four days.

Apollo 8 was launched December 21, 1968, and carried Lovell, Borman, and William Anders on the first manned flight around the Moon. This flight was the first of three preparatory flights to the Moon landing of Apollo 11. With astronauts Fred W. Haise, John L. Swigert, Jr., and Lovell aboard, Apollo 13 lifted off on April 11, 1970, headed for the Fra Mauro Hills on the Moon. On April 13, approximately 205,000 miles (330,000 kilometres) from Earth, an explosion ruptured an oxygen tank in the service module. The resulting shortage of power and oxygen forced the abandonment of the Moon mission. Apollo 13's crew changed course to swing once around the Moon and then return to Earth. With the successful return of Apollo 13 on April 17, Lovell had completed more than 715 hours of space travel.

In 1971 Lovell became deputy director of the Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas. He retired from the Navy and the space program in 1973 but remained in Houston as a corporation executive.

http://lovellsoflakeforest.com/apollo-13-lovells


Gene Cernan:
During 20 years as a Naval Aviator, including 13 years with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Captain Eugene A. Cernan left his mark on history with three missions in space as the Pilot of Gemini IX, the Lunar Module Pilot of Apollo X, and Commander of Apollo XVII. After flying to the moon not once, but twice, he also holds the distinction of being the second American to walk in space and the last man to have left his footprints on the lunar surface.


Captain Cernan received a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Purdue University in 1956 and a Master of Science in aeronautical engineering from the United States Naval Post Graduate School in 1963. Among his numerous honors, the most significant are the Navy Distinguished Flying Cross, the Distinguished Service Medal with Star, the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, the FAI International Gold Medal for Space, induction into the U.S. Space Hall of Fame, enshrinement into the National Aviation Hall of Fame, Naval Aviation’s Hall of Honor and the International Aerospace Hall of Fame. Captain Cernan was awarded NASA’s first Ambassador of Exploration Award, the Federal Aviation Administration’s prestigious Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award, and the 2007 Lindbergh Spirit Award presented only every five years. In December of 2007, The National Aeronautic Association presented Captain Cernan with one of the most prestigious aviation trophies in the world, the Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy, in Washington, DC. Captain Cernan was honored in 2008 with the Rotary National Award for Space Achievement, and he received the Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI) Gold Air Medal, one of the most important international awards, in the Fall of 2008.

http://www.genecernan.com/


David Hartman:
Actor, producer, television host. Born David Downs Hartman on May 19, 1935 in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. The son of German immigrants, David Hartman grew up singing and playing a number of musical instruments. His father was a Methodist minister who turned to ad agency sales to better support the family. The young Hartman attended Duke University where he majored in economics and pursued acting on the side.

After serving in the Air Force, he returned to the States to pursue an acting career in earnest. In 1964, David Hartman won a supporting role in the original 1964 Broadway production of Hello Dolly. A decade later he became the first host of ABC’s Good Morning America in 1975. He stayed with the show for 11 years, also serving as writer and producer, and helped it become the highest rated morning show during his tenure. He has won several Emmy and journalism awards and is also known for his documentaries.