Neil Armstrong, Essay Example

Neil Armstrong is a man among men and the epitome of what embodies an explorer.  Neil Armstrong’s characteristics include fortitude, devotion, courage and intensity.  Throughout his daring and expeditious career starting in the United States Navy, NACA, the United States Air Force and ultimately NASA, he reached the furthest and most treacherous spans of human existence.  Armstrong grew up in the small town of Wapakoneta, Ohio.  Although he was born in this small town he did not stay in the same place for an extended amount of time (Dixon-Engle and Jackson 2008).  The drive of Armstrong showed that he would not take no for an answer and after only a few short months he had gained permission to begin his start as a test pilot at Edwards Air Force Base.  As a test pilot there were many tests of intestinal fortitude but one in particular almost ended Armstrong exploratory career before it took flight itself.  Armstrong’s patience and devotion allowed him to stay calm under pressure and exude confidence in the most daring of times.  His ambition to achieve what no other human has achieved drove him to take on challenges and experiences that other people would deem impossible.

The amazing feats achieved for Armstrong to step onto the moon were reached in both the arenas of technology and human capability.  In comparison the spacecraft that took the astronauts to the moon, landed and then returned were powered by a computer that could be handled by a common desktop by today’s standards.  While preparing to land on the moon, multiple error codes were racing across Armstrong’s screen. Even with extensive knowledge of spaceflight and the craft itself the errors were unknown.  The human factor played a role in the ability to achieve Armstrong’s walk on the moon because although they have trained and have actually been in space they have not walked on the moon.

As an explorer, Neil Armstrong explored not only the outer reaches of man’s imagination by touching the moon but he also broke through technological boundaries as well as testing physics, science and mathematics as we knew them.  Always teetering on the edge of sanity and ludicrousness, he enabled the exploration of space by leading from the front of the charge to new horizons both physically and philosophically.  He literally took exploration of space to the furthest it has ever been by taking that first step.  Neil Armstrong explored the frontier of space, facing unknown risks but achieving unparalleled feats.  His perseverance and devotion are characteristics that made him successful as a pilot and an astronaut.

References

Dixon-Engle, T. and Jackson, M. (2008). Neil Armstrong: one giant leap for mankind. Sterling Publishing.