Neil Armstrong: A Life of Flight (54 page)

go-ahead for launch (July 16, 1969)

waiting launch

liftoff

countdown

in flight

in Earth orbit

headed to the moon

behind the moon, out of touch

in lunar orbit

return to Earth

debriefing the crew

Apollo 12

crew of

mission of

traces of moon visit photographed from space

Apollo 13

crew of

lunar module of, astronauts’ refuge in

Apollo 14,
traces of moon visit photographed from space

Apollo 15

crew of

traces of moon visit photographed from space

Apollo 16,
traces of moon visit photographed from space

Apollo 17

liftoff from moon

parachuting to ocean landing

traces of moon visit photographed from space

TV camera of

Apollo missions

commander position

LM pilot position

training for

Apollo Project

grounded after launchpad fire

Apollo spacecraft

components of (command module, service module, lunar module)

construction of

improved version after
Apollo 1
fire

Apollo/Soyuz mission (1975)

Armstrong, Dean (Neil’s brother)

Armstrong, Eric Alan (Rick) (Neil’s son)

Armstrong, Janet.
See
Shearon, Janet

Armstrong, June (Neil’s sister)

Armstrong, Karen Anne “Muffie” (Neil’s daughter)

birth of

death of, from brain tumor

effect of death on Neil

moon memorial of

Armstrong, Mark Stephen (Neil’s son)

Armstrong, Neil

(1947–1955) Aviation Midshipman Program

(1950) flight training

(1951) Korean War pilot

(1955–1962) test pilot at Edwards

(1957) birth of first child

(1959) birth of second child

(1961–1962) applies to become astronaut

(1962) accepted as astronaut

(1963) birth of third child

(1964) house fire, children rescued

(1966)
Gemini 8
mission

(1967) visits LBJ at White House, learns of
Apollo 1
fire

(1969) on
Apollo 11
flight

(1969) on the Eagle, landing

(1969) on the moon

(1969) return from the moon

(1971) retires, buys a farm, teaches aeronautics

(1986) on commission to investigate the
Challenger
accident

(1994) divorce from Janet

(1994) marries Carol Knight

(2012) death following heart bypass surgery

apocryphal yarn about Mr. and Mrs. Gorsky

and
Apollo 8

astronaut training

boyhood interest in flying, first flight and pilot’s license

cabin in San Gabriel Mountains

as CapCom

celebrity status

childhood

chosen for
Apollo 11

on combat mission in Korea

congressional testimony of, on space exploration

contribution to space flight

conversations from space

and death of Karen Anne Armstrong

experience as test pilot

flight hobbies (gliders, propeller planes)

friendship with John Glenn

Gemini 5 backup

a Gemini Nine astronaut

home life

interviews and news conferences

investigating the
Apollo 1
disaster

landing on moon

“one small step for (a)man, one giant leap for mankind”

pranks played by

rescue of two-year-old girl

role model to astronauts

small-town roots of

space exploration advocate

speculates on his future

teenage years playing band and chasing girls

training for Apollo missions

—character and personality

decision making, cool under pressure

humility

keep-your-distance impression

lacking (self-stated)

other astronauts’ opinion

perfectionism

preparedness

respect for life

small town virtues

—photographs

with
Apollo 11
in background

in aviator gear

in cockpit of Eagle

in cockpit of Gemini spacecraft

in cockpit of X-15

on commission to investigate the
Challenger
accident

ejecting from the LLTV

after ejection from fighter jet

entering
Apollo 11

family life

in flight

on Gemini team

jungle survival training

in lunar module simulator

at Mission Control

in quarantine

in simulator

in spacecraft

in spacesuit

splashdown

taking phone call in spacecraft

training for Apollo missions

with X-15 rocket plane

Armstrong, Steve (Neil’s father)

Armstrong, Viola (Neil’s mother)

asteroids hitting Earth

Astronaut Maneuvering Unit (AMU)

astronauts

American and Russian, bond between

as America’s ambassadors

Chief, position of

deaths of

as former celebrities

houses and housing of

recruitment of

reunions of

training of

astronomy, history of

Atlantis
shuttle

Atlas rocket

attitude control

aurora borealis

B-29 bomber

B-52, drop-and-launch from

Baikonur Cosmodrome

Bales, Steve

ballooning

Barbree, Jay (author)

friendship with Neil

investigates
Challenger
accident

space reporting of

Barbree, Jo

Bassett, Charles

Bean, Alan L.

Beddingfield, Sam

Belyayev, Pavel

Benedict, Howard

Big Bang

biological isolation garments (BIGs)

Borman, Frank

Brand, Vance

Brokaw, Tom

Brown, Curt

Burton, Bob

Bush, George H. W.

Bush, George W.

Butchart, Stan

C-47 plane

Caidin, Martin

Cape Canaveral

astronauts at

JFK and John Glenn at

Launch Control Center

launches from

and launchpad fire investigation

rocket complex

shuttles flown from

spectator crowds at

view of, from space

capsule communicator (CapCom)

capsules, manned, Neil’s aversion to

Carpenter, John

Carpenter, Scott

Carr, Jerry

Carter, Jimmy

Cernan, Gene

last man on the moon

Chaffee, Roger

death in launchpad fire

memorial to, on the moon

recruited as astronaut

Challenger
shuttle

destruction of, on launch

Chang-Diaz, Franklin

Chicago, Illinois

Choco Indians

CIA

Cleveland, Ohio

Clinton, Bill

Coastal Sentry Quebec
tracking ship

Cocoa Beach, Florida

Cold War

Collins, Mike

and
Apollo 8

on
Apollo 11
flight

with
Apollo 11
in background

background of

chosen for
Apollo 11

in Columbia awaiting Neil’s and Buzz’s return from the moon

on
Gemini 10

on Neil’s personality

pilot of
Apollo 11

in quarantine

recruited as astronaut

return to Earth

training for Apollo missions

Collins, Pat

Columbia.
See Apollo 11,
Columbia

Columbia Accident Investigation Board

Columbia
shuttle

loss of