APOLLO 11... 50 YEARS

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https://www.wthr.com/article/purdue-host-neil-armstrong-special-exhibit

Purdue to host Neil Armstrong special exhibit

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WTHR) — Beginning March 18, the public will have a chance to experience Neil Armstrong's life through a special exhibit.

“Apollo in the Archives: Selections from the Neil A. Armstrong Papers,” will run through the summer until Aug. 16.

The exhibit commemorates the 50th anniversary of the first manned spaceflight that landed on the moon where Armstrong took his famed first steps.

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“Neil wanted his collections to be used for both scholarship and research at his alma mater,” said Tracy Grimm, associate head of Purdue Archives and Special Collections and Barron Hilton archivist for flight and space exploration and curator of the exhibit. “Students and researchers have the unique opportunity to have a behind-the-scenes look at Neil’s life and legacy when they conduct research using Neil’s personal papers. This exhibit offers the public an opportunity to get to know Armstrong and the steps leading up to the Apollo 11 mission through access to Armstrong’s papers.”

It will be free and open to the public.

The exhibit includes:

  • An Apollo 11 flight suit, worn by Armstrong.
  • Armstrong’s NASA astronaut program acceptance letter.
  • A script for a skit written by Armstrong and Elliot See Jr., both part of the Gemini 5 backup crew.
  • A bag of Gemini 8 capsule personal items.
  • LLRV lunar lander research vehicle pilot flight checklist.
  • Apollo translunar/transearth trajectory plotting chart from the Apollo 11 mission.
  • Lunar dust disturbance on descent memorandum.
  • Model of Apollo lunar lander, made by the Grumman Corp.
  • Purdue centennial flag flown to the moon on Apollo 11 in 1969.
  • Apollo 11 lunar module lunar surface maps.
  • Apollo 11 lunar module lunar ascent card.
 
Armstrong was chosen to be first because he was a civilian, as opposed to Aldrin who was a serving USAF officer at the time. The US did not want this to appear to be a military mission.

I have no proof, but I also think they did not want a loose cannon like Aldrin to be the guy. Armstrong was a PR man's dream, humble, folksy, and really down to earth (no pun intended.) He was easier to talk to than most of our other aero professors.
 
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Armstrong was chosen to be first because he was a civilian, as opposed to Aldrin who was a serving USAF officer at the time. The US did not want this to appear to be a military mission.

I have no proof, but I also think they did not want a loose cannon like Aldrin to be the guy. Armstrong was a PR man's dream, humble, folksy, and really down to earth (no pun intended.) He was easier to talk to than most of our other aero professors.

Yep, nailed it Duke.
 
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