Neil Armstrong began his career as a. an astronaut b. a pilot c. a university professor
Gemini 8 was Armstrong’s a. first mission b. most famous mission c. last mission
Armstrong worked with NASA until a. 1966 b. 1969 c. 1971
Discussion/essay questions
While taking the first steps on the moon, Neil Armstrong said the famous quote “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” Do you know of any other famous quotes from history? What is a quote that has changed your perspective?
Transcript
Neil Armstrong was an American astronaut and engineer. He was born in 1930 in Wapakoneta, Ohio. Armstrong began his career as a pilot for the US Navy. He joined NASA’s astronaut training program in 1962, and became one of only nine students in his class to succeed. His first command was on the Gemini 8 mission in 1966. In July 1969, he began the Apollo 11 mission with astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins. He gained worldwide fame on July 20th for being the first person to walk on the moon. After the successful mission, Armstrong continued to work with NASA for two years. He left in 1971 to become an engineering professor. Despite his fame, Armstrong lived a very private life until his death in 2012.
Some people believe in the conspiracy theory that the moon landing was faked. Do you think this is possible? Why or why not?
Transcript
In 1969, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to walk on the moon. The decision to send astronauts to the moon was made in 1961, when U.S. President John F. Kennedy pledged to accomplish this before the end of the decade. Kennedy set this goal because of the rivalry between the U.S. and the Soviet Union at the time. The Soviet Union had already made advancements in space travel, such as sending the first unmanned probe to the moon, and sending the first human to space. The U.S. wanted to prove that they were capable of space travel as well. Over eight years, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) prepared and launched 11 missions that would lead to the moon landing. The final mission took place on July 20th, 1969. Armstrong was the first of the two astronauts to walk on the moon, where he said the famous quote: “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.”
