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Armstrong ‘Taught World Enormous Power of One Step’ - Obama

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U.S. astronaut Neil Armstrong showed the world how powerful a small step could be, U.S. President Barack Obama said on Saturday. Armstrong, the first man to set foot on the moon, has died at age 82.

U.S. astronaut Neil Armstrong showed the world how powerful a small step could be, U.S. President Barack Obama said on Saturday. Armstrong, the first man to set foot on the moon, has died at age 82.

“Michelle and I were deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Neil Armstrong,” Obama said in a statement. “Neil was among the greatest of American heroes - not just of his time, but of all time.”

A statement from Armstrong’s family said he had died from complications from heart surgery, which he had had earlier in August.

“When he and his fellow crew members lifted off aboard Apollo 11 in 1969, they carried with them the aspirations of an entire nation. They set out to show the world that the American spirit can see beyond what seems unimaginable - that with enough drive and ingenuity, anything is possible,” he said.

“And when Neil stepped foot on the surface of the moon for the first time, he delivered a moment of human achievement that will never be forgotten,” the statement ran.

“Today, Neil's spirit of discovery lives on in all the men and women who have devoted their lives to exploring the unknown - including those who are ensuring that we reach higher and go further in space. That legacy will endure - sparked by a man who taught us the enormous power of one small step,” Obama said.

Armstrong was born on August 5, 1930. He served in the U.S. Naval Aviation, was a test pilot, an aerospace engineering professor and an astronaut.

According to the BBC, the astronaut described his setting foot on the Moon on July 20, 1969, as "one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

Over 500 million people worldwide watched the touchdown of the Apollo 11 spacecraft on the moon on television. Armstrong was the spacecraft’s commander. It took Armstrong and his fellow astronaut Edwin Aldrin some three hours to walk on the lunar surface, collect samples, make experiments and take photographs.

The CNN quoted Armstrong’s family as saying: “While we mourn the loss of a very good man, we also celebrate his remarkable life and hope that it serves as an example to young people around the world to work hard to make their dreams come true, to be willing to explore and push the limits, and to selflessly serve a cause greater than themselves.”

 

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