Nile Armstrong died

Nile Armstrong died - the first person who visited the moon. He was 82 years old. Armstrong died due to complications after heart surgery made in early August. The astronaut went down in history in July 1969, when he headed the crew of the Apollo-11 ship, the first spacecraft to deliver people to the moon. He stayed on the moon 2.5 hours. Having stepped on its surface, Armstrong said: "This is a small step for a person, but a giant leap for all mankind."

In recent years, Armstrong led a closed lifestyle and rarely talked with the press. He made an exception in May 2010 to criticize the intention of Barack Obama to abandon the Constellation space program. Within the framework of this program, the necessary equipment was developed to ensure flights to the moon, creating a permanent base there, as well as a flight plan for Mars.

The Soviet cosmonaut Viktor Savin, a participant in three space flights, recalls the day when the Americans landed on the moon:

“I well remember this event, July 1969. I was already a young specialist - I was responsible for the landing module, equipment that was supposed to control the landing. Our ship was made. I went on - who was ahead to the moon. I was at work, we were waiting for this moment, we listened to the radio. Of course, we wanted to be the first, but late.

I perfectly remember that short step of Armstrong, this "step in history." Of course, there was a sense of pride in humanity, but at the same time also a feeling of resentment that we are not the first. I don’t remember my comrades rejoiced. There was such an attitude: "That's late."

Unfortunately, I saw Armstrong only once, in the USA, in the early 80s. At a meeting of the Association of Space Flights. We could not talk, I will not invent anything. There was only a joint handshake. But he seemed very charming to me. "