I always feel very strange when the death of a person I never met deeply affects me. The times this has happened are few, and the people in question are often unexpected.
Tonight though, I am unsurprisingly moved by the news that Neil Armstrong is no longer with us. His family describe him as a ‘reluctant American hero’ and there can surely be no better summary for an extraordinary man who was given a unique opportunity.
Armstrong eschewed celebrity for a long time after the Apollo era. In recent years he had made more public appearances. He was modest, eloquent and visionary. He was a gentlemen, and I’m sure his family will deeply miss him, as will America and the world.
Today is a giant loss for mankind. I hope that before too long humanity returns to the Moon, to continue what Armstrong and his fellow Apollo Astronauts began.
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