We Came in Peace For All Mankind
Apollo 11 at Fifty

I grew up in the shuttle generation. I watched with innocent eyes and felt part of my childlike innocence dissolve when the Challenger accident occurred. Undaunted, I wanted to go up there, slip the surly bonds of Earth, and chase the shouting wind into the sunlit silence.

Part of chasing that dream was reading about the history of spaceflight, especially the Apollo missions. I was amazed by how, after years of research and experimentation, we could sling three men to the moon and back in just over a week. One week elbow to elbow going there and coming back, but ultimately limitless when on the lunar surface.

Fifty years ago today, three American astronauts reached the moon. Two of them became the first humans ever to explore its surface. Five more crews followed them, and their inspiration lives on even today, forty-seven years after Apollo 17 landed in Taurus-Littrow.

Everyone involved in the history of manned spaceflight is a hero to me, but Armstrong, Aldrin, and Collins stand out because of the milestone they reached and the impact they made.

Thank you, gentlemen. I hope we can continue to do your legacy proud in the future.