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Neil Armstrong Quotes (1930-2012)
About Neil Armstrong
Neil Alden Armstrong (5 August 1930 – 25 August 2012) was an American test pilot and astronaut, who was the commander of the Apollo 11 Moon landing mission on July 20, 1969, in which he and Buzz Aldrin were the first humans to land on the Moon, and he was the first man to walk on the Moon.
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Explore our curated collection of the most famous and impactful Neil Armstrong quotes.
“It's an interesting place to be. I recommend it.”
- Neil Armstrong, 60 Minutes interview
“I am comfortable with my level of public discourse.”
“Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed.”
“We were involved in doing what many thought to be impossible, putting humans on Earth's moon.”
- Neil Armstrong, 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing
“The horizon seems quite close to you because the curvature is so much more pronounced than here on Earth.”
- Neil Armstrong, 60 Minutes interview
“I guess we all like to be recognized not for one piece of fireworks but for the ledger of our daily work.”
- Neil Armstrong, 60 Minutes interview
“I'll not assert that it was a diversion which prevented a war, but nevertheless, it was a diversion.”
“It would be impossible to overstate the appreciation that we on the crew feel for your dedication and the quality of your work.”
- Neil Armstrong, 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing
“I'm quite certain that we'll have such [lunar] bases in our lifetime, somewhat like the Antarctic stations and similar scientific outposts, continually manned.”
“All the Apollo people were working hard, working long hours, and were dedicated to making certain everything they did, they were doing to the very best of their ability.”
- Neil Armstrong, 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing
“Friends and colleagues all of a sudden looked at us, treated us, slightly differently than had months or years before when we were working together. I never quite understood that.”
- Neil Armstrong, 60 Minutes interview
Neil Armstrong, explaining the lunar mission's impetus in 1969, connects humanity's venturesome spirit to a profound, intrinsic drive mirroring nature's own compelling forces.
“I think we're going to the moon because it's in the nature of the human being to face challenges. It's by the nature of his deep inner soul ... we're required to do these things just as salmon swim upstream.”
“Our autopilot was taking us into a very large crater, about the size of a big football stadium with steep slopes on the crater covered with very large rocks about the size of automobiles that was not the kind of place that I wanted to try to make the first landing.”
- Neil Armstrong, 60 Minutes interview
Comparing modern technology to that of the Apollo missions, this quote from a 2007 interview highlights the incredible advancement in computing power since the Cold War space race.
“Space has not changed but technology has, in many cases, improved dramatically. A good example is digital technology where today's cell phones are far more powerful than the computers on the Apollo Command Module and Lunar Module that we used to navigate to the moon and operate all the spacecraft control systems.”
“I thought, well. when I step off it's just going to be a little step — a step from there down to there — but then I thought about all those 400,000 people who had given me the opportunity to make that step and thought it's going to be a big something for all those folks and, indeed for a lot of others that weren't even involved in the project, so it was kind of a simple correlation.”
- Neil Armstrong, 60 Minutes interview
“Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am in the position of a pilot without his checklist, so I'll have to wing it a bit. ... [Prior to the Apollo missions,] no one knew what kind of person could be persuaded to take the trip. Prisoners were suggested. Soldiers could be ordered. Photographers could take pictures — and they're expendable. Doctors understood the limits of human physiology. Finally, both sides picked pilots.”
In a 1971 letter celebrating Troy, Michigan's new library, a writer from *Mental Floss* passionately encouraged children to unlock the transformative power of reading and knowledge.
“Through books you will meet poets and novelists whose creations will fire your imagination. You will meet the great thinkers who will share with you their philosophies, their concepts of the world, of humanity and of creation. You will learn about events that have shaped our history, of deeds both noble and ignoble. All of this knowledge is yours for the taking... Your library is a storehouse for mind and spirit. Use it well.”
“Science fiction writers thought it would be possible. H. G. Wells, Jules Verne, and other authors found ways to get people to the moon. But none of those writers foresaw any possibility of the lunar explorers being able to communicate with Earth, transmit data, position information, or transmit moving pictures of what they saw back to Earth. The authors foresaw my part of the adventure, but your part was beyond their comprehension.”
- Neil Armstrong, 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing
“A century hence, 2000 may be viewed as quite a primitive period in human history. It's something to hope for. ... I am, and ever will be, a white-socks, pocket-protector, nerdy engineer — born under the second law of thermodynamics, steeped in the steam tables, in love with free-body diagrams, transformed by Laplace, and propelled by compressible flow. As an engineer, I take a substantial amount of pride in the accomplishments of my profession.”
“The exciting part for me, as a pilot, was the landing on the moon. That was the time that we had achieved the national goal of putting Americans on the moon. The landing approach was, by far, the most difficult and challenging part of the flight. Walking on the lunar surface was very interesting, but it was something we looked on as reasonably safe and predictable. So the feeling of elation accompanied the landing rather than the walking.”
“For The United States, the leading space faring nation for nearly half a century, to be without carriage to low Earth orbit and with no human exploration capability to go beyond Earth orbit for an indeterminate time into the future, destines our nation to become one of second or even third rate stature. While the President's plan envisages humans traveling away from Earth and perhaps toward Mars at some time in the future, the lack of developed rockets and spacecraft will assure that ability will not be available for many years.
Without the skill and experience that actual spacecraft operation provides, the USA is far too likely to be on a long downhill slide to mediocrity. America must decide if it wishes to remain a leader in space. If it does, we should institute a program which will give us the very best chance of achieving that goal.”
Without the skill and experience that actual spacecraft operation provides, the USA is far too likely to be on a long downhill slide to mediocrity. America must decide if it wishes to remain a leader in space. If it does, we should institute a program which will give us the very best chance of achieving that goal.”
- Neil Armstrong, Open letter on NASA cuts
Neil Armstrong Quotes by Topic
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Neil Armstrong on Moon 2 quotes
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Neil Armstrong on Planet 2 quotes
“The important achievement of Apollo was demonstrating that humanity is not forever chained to this planet and our visions go rather further than that and our opportunities are unlimited.”
Neil Armstrong on Exploration
Neil Armstrong on Aviation
Reflecting on his reluctance to leave the lunar module, Neil Armstrong highlights the pilot's inherent satisfaction in flight and landing, rather than disembarking.
“Pilots take no special joy in walking: pilots like flying. Pilots generally take pride in a good landing, not in getting out of the vehicle.”
Quotes About Neil Armstrong
Gain deeper perspective through quotes about Neil Armstrong from others.
Source on Neil Armstrong 5 quotes
“It is true that we were cautious in our planning. There were many uncertainties about how well our Lunar module systems and our Pressure suit and backpack would match the engineering predictions in the hostile lunar environment. We were operating in a near perfect vacuum with the temperature well above 200 degrees Fahrenheit with the local gravity only one sixth that of Earth. That combination cannot be duplicated here on Earth, but we tried as best we could to test our equipment for those conditions. For example, because normal air conditioning is inadequate for lunar conditions, we were required to use cold water to cool the interior of our suits. We did not have any data to tell us how long the small water tank in our backpacks would suffice. NASA officials limited our surface working time to 2 and 3/4 hours on that first surface exploration to assure that we would not expire of hyperthermia.”
- Neil Armstrong, Letter to Robert Krulwich
Armstrong family statement regarding his death on Neil Armstrong
“Neil Armstrong was also a reluctant American hero who always believed he was just doing his job. He served his Nation proudly, as a navy fighter pilot, test pilot, and astronaut. He remained an advocate of aviation and exploration throughout his life and never lost his boyhood wonder of these pursuits.”
Buzz Aldrin on Neil Armstrong
“I am deeply saddened by the passing of my good friend, and space exploration companion, Neil Armstrong today. As Neil, Mike Collins and I trained together for our historic Apollo 11 Mission, we understood the many technical challenges we faced, as well as the importance and profound implications of this historic journey. [...] Whenever I look at the Moon I am reminded of that precious moment, over four decades ago, when Neil and I stood on the desolate, barren, yet beautiful, Sea of Tranquility, looking back at our brilliant blue planet Earth suspended in the darkness of space, I realized that even though we were farther away from Earth than two humans had ever been, we were not alone. Virtually the entire world took that memorable journey with us. I know I am joined by many millions of others from around the world in mourning the passing of a true American hero and the best pilot I ever knew. My friend Neil took the small step but giant leap that changed the world and will forever be remembered as a historic moment in human history.”
Charles Bolden on Neil Armstrong
“As long as there are history books, Neil Armstrong will be included in them, remembered for taking humankind's first small step on a world beyond our own. [...] Besides being one of America's greatest explorers, Neil carried himself with a grace and humility that was an example to us all. When President Kennedy challenged the nation to send a human to the Moon, Neil Armstrong accepted without reservation. As we enter this next era of space exploration, we do so standing on the shoulders of Neil Armstrong. We mourn the passing of a friend, fellow astronaut and true American hero.”
Misattributed Quotes
Quotes mistakenly credited to Neil Armstrong
“I believe that every human has a finite number of heartbeats. I don't intend to waste any of mine running around doing exercises.”
About Neil Armstrong
Neil Alden Armstrong (5 August 1930 – 25 August 2012) was an American test pilot and astronaut, who was the commander of the Apollo 11 Moon landing mission on July 20, 1969, in which he and Buzz Aldrin were the first humans to land on the Moon, and he was the first man to walk on the Moon.