Neil Armstrong, the first human to set foot on the Moon, was born on August 5, 1930, in Wapakoneta, Ohio. From an early age, Armstrong was fascinated by flight, earning his pilot’s license before he could legally drive a car. After studying aeronautical engineering at Purdue University on a Navy scholarship, Armstrong served as a … Read More “Neil Armstrong (1930 – 2012)” »
Sally Ride, a trailblazing astronaut and physicist, made history as the first American woman in space and became an inspiration for generations of scientists and explorers. Born on May 26, 1951, in Los Angeles, California, Ride showed early promise in both academics and athletics. She attended Stanford University, earning bachelor’s degrees in English and Physics, … Read More “Sally Ride (1951 – 2012)” »
Michael Collins, often dubbed “the forgotten astronaut,” played a crucial role in one of humanity’s greatest achievements: the first Moon landing. Born on October 31, 1930, in Rome, Italy, where his father was stationed as an Army officer, Collins developed a passion for aviation early in life. He graduated from the United States Military Academy … Read More “Michael Collins (1930 – 2021)” »
John Glenn was a pioneering American astronaut, decorated military pilot, and long-serving U.S. Senator whose remarkable career spanned decades of public service. Born in Cambridge, Ohio, on July 18, 1921, Glenn developed a passion for flight early in life. He studied engineering at Muskingum College before enlisting in the Navy in 1942 following the attack … Read More “John Glenn (1921 – 2016)” »
Across the years, only a few humans have had the honor of being able to say that they walked on the moon – and John Watts Young is one of them. In 1972, he became the ninth man to walk on the Moon as the Commander of the Apollo 16 mission. However, his life has … Read More “John W. Young (1930-2021)” »
Edwin Eugene “Buzz” Aldrin, Jr. was born on January 20th, 1930 in Glen Ridge, New Jersey. The son of an Air Force Colonel, he followed in his father’s footsteps by enrolling in West Point and joining the United State Air Force – ending up being a decorated Air Force pilot with 66 combat missions in … Read More “Buzz Aldrin (1930)” »
As we are nearing the end of 2013, let’s have a look at some more people who will be able to call themselves astronauts soon… Actor/Director Tom Hanks – one of the most recognised actors of his generation all time, Hanks starred in block busters like Philadelphia, Saving Private Ryan, Forrest Gump, Toy Story and … Read More “Celebrities Becoming Astronauts – part 2” »
With Bob Geldof just having announced that he too signed up to travel into space as a passenger on a commercial space flight, let’s have a look at a small portion of this eclectic mix of celebrities, scientists, and entrepeneurs who have taken the same leap of faith already and dug deep into their pockets for … Read More “Celebrities Becoming Astronauts” »
Few events influenced humanity so much as the feat Yuri Alexseyevich Gagarin achieved in April 1961, when he became the first human to reach outer space and completed an orbit in his Vostok Spacecraft – what also turned out to be his only flight into space. A victory for the Soviet Union over the United … Read More “Yuri Gagarin (1934 – 1968) – part 1” »
They say that some events inspire a generation… Well, let us go back in time to July 1969 when millions were glued to their TVs and radios during the Apollo moon landing. Amongst them, a 9-year old boy called Chris Hadfield. Forward the clock to 2012 and this boy had already become the first Canadian … Read More “Chris Hadfield (1959)” »
