Neil Armstrong, commander of the Apollo 11 mission, pilot of The Eagle and the first person to set foot on the Moon, died today at age 82. Most people will remember Armstrong for his famous quote, “One small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind.”
I suggest you remember him for his Sagittarius Moon, known for its adventurous spirit as well as its eternal optimism. He was born with his Moon in this sign, and he died within two months of his progressed lunar return — an event that happens just two or three times in a lifetime. And today, when he left this plane of existence, the Moon was also in Sagittarius, just a few degrees from his natal placement — and all close to the homing signal that’s known as the Galactic Core. [See minor planets here.]
It’s easy to be jaded about space travel; so far it hasn’t lived up to the visions of science fiction. The Space Shuttle made 135 flights, which became routine events. Yet the first time that people set foot on the Moon, it was astonishing and, in the true sense of the word, breathtaking. Going into orbit is risky business under the best scenario, but using untested equipment and computers that ran slower than an old Atari game, the achievement of Neil Armstrong and his colleagues on that flight was evidence of guts, skill and a dash of luck.
It’s fair to say that the Moon landing was one of the last moments when we thought of the United States as being a great nation, based on an actual achievement.