Space at all times has been and remains a mystery for the inquiring human mind. The process of studying and developing space in the vicinity of the Earth is accompanied by high risks and real danger. Dusty paths of distant planets are not yet accessible to earthlings. However, the first, very timid step has already been taken to the surface of the Moon. It was made by our contemporary Neil Armstrong.
Starting conditions
Neil Armstrong was born in a small town in Ohio. An ordinary American family. Strict parents. Father's work was associated with frequent moving from one settlement to another. As the eldest child in the family, he had to take care of and look after his younger brother and sister. At 17, in 1947, the teenager graduated from high school and became a student at Purdue University. The young man chose the aviation department. This choice cannot be called accidental.
Already in high school, Neil began to study at the local flying club. This hobby determined his further life path. He received his pilot's license while still a schoolboy. The dream of the sky, of the control of new planes, captured the boy completely. Here it must be said about some of the specifics of the American education system. Education at the university in those days and today remains paid. The family did not have enough money to pay the eldest son a decent education. And then Neil signed a contract with the military department. According to this contract, the army budget allocated money for tuition fees, and the student agreed to serve in the army for three years.
Studying the biography of the legendary astronaut, analysts agree that Neil Armstrong's career began with military service. Unlike many of his colleagues, Neil had practical flight training. A person who has learned the basics of piloting any aircraft, the skills are fixed for a long time. A well-trained recruit was immediately enrolled in the test squad. Just at the end of the 40s, new designs of jet aircraft were intensively created and tested. And this job is not for weaklings.
During his military service, war broke out on the Korean Peninsula. Command orders are not discussed and the pilot Armstrong is sent to the war zone. According to open data, the pilot flew 78 sorties. The sources are silent about the effectiveness of the bombing. But one day his plane was shot down. The pilot miraculously survived and was not captured by the enemy. The Air Force command appreciated the military achievements of Neil Armstrong - two Gold Stars and a medal shine on the chest of a combatant.
Space - near and far
By the mid-50s of the last century, the competition between the two powers for the possession of the nearest space sharply intensified on the world arena. Soviet specialists were literally half a step ahead of their colleagues from the United States. The first artificial Earth satellite, launched from the territory of the USSR in the fall of 1957, literally spurred on the Americans. It was at this time that Neil Armstrong, an experienced and tested pilot in extreme conditions, was invited to the National Aeronautics and Space Agency. This organization is often referred to in a short form - NASA.
It is interesting to note that the struggle for priorities in the comic space was fought in different directions. First, you need to create an appropriate aircraft. Secondly, prepare the pilot and ensure his safety at all stages of the flight. Most often, spaceships crash during launch and landing. Although on a stable segment of the flight, there is still no insurance against emergencies. The career of the future astronaut began with testing a rocket plane. Structurally, the rocket plane is a symbiosis of a rocket and an aircraft. Seven attempts were made by Neil Armstrong to achieve space on such a device and did not achieve success.
When the rocket plane project was curtailed, the experienced pilot continued to serve in the astronaut corps. He had to go through a cruel selection filter. Of the 250 applicants, only twenty were selected. And again, training began on special stands, theoretical courses and the study of the material part. Without these routine procedures, it is impossible to go on a space flight. Astronaut Armstrong made his maiden voyage into Earth orbit in 1966. He was entrusted with the post of commander of the Gemini 8 ship.
During the flight, serious technical problems arose. The crew completed the main program, but the return to Earth became possible thanks to the restraint and precise actions of the commander. In preparation for the flight to the moon, Neil Armstrong's candidacy was approved without any conditions or doubts. In July 1969, the Apollo 11 spacecraft recovered towards the celestial body closest to the Earth. As practice has confirmed, it takes 103 hours to reach the Moon. The most difficult stage is the landing of the module on the lunar surface. A problem arose during the return launch, when it was time to return to orbit and dock to the main ship.
Triumph of human thought and will
A lot of scientific, artistic and fantastic texts have been written about how this flight took place. To a large extent, this kind of "creativity" does not deserve serious attention. Neil Armstrong himself modestly and businesslike describes the details of the flight. It is important to note that human memory is imperfect and it is not advisable to completely trust it. Of course, both the commander himself and the crew members realized what contribution they were making to the development of mankind. On top of that, two and a half hours on the lunar surface is a feat.
The time has come to say that all feats are performed by ordinary people. Those who have or do not have a personal life. The famous and respected nowadays Neil Armstrong was married twice. Good or bad is a rhetorical question. The husband and wife are equally responsible for the safety of the family hearth. After completing his space career, Armstrong was engaged in teaching activities. He willingly collaborated with various commissions as an expert. The astronaut died in August 2012.
At the current historical moment, the program for the further exploration of the Moon has been mothballed. All progressive humanity awaits the implementation of new projects. Experts scrupulously study the information and physical materials that were collected during the first expedition to the moon. This is invaluable and so far the only material on the basis of which one can prepare for the next, longer flights.
