Obama hails Apollo 11 crew as ‘genuine American heroes’
July 21st, 2009 - 3:37 am ICT by IANS
Washington, July 21 (DPA) US President Barack Obama welcomed the crew of Apollo 11 to the White House Monday to mark the 40th anniversary of their journey to the moon and called the three men “genuine American heroes.”
On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were the first humans to set foot on the lunar surface, while fellow crew member Michael Collins circled the moon in the command vehicle.
“I think that all of us recall the moment in which mankind finally was untethered from this planet and was able to explore the stars; the moment in which we had one of our own step on the moon and leave that imprint that is there to this day,” Obama said.
“And it’s because of the heroism, the calm under pressure, the grace with which these three gentlemen operated, but also the entire NASA family that was able to, at great risk oftentimes, and with great danger, was somehow able to lift our sights, not just here in the United States but around the world.”
Obama, who has ordered a review of all US manned space flight programmes, said the US would try to “continue the inspirational moments of NASA”. The space agency is planning to return to the moon by 2020 in a next generation spacecraft now being developed.
The president recalled watching as a child in Hawaii as the capsules containing Apollo astronauts were fished from the sea and brought back to land.
Monday’s 40th anniversary was marked by NASA events with the Apollo astronauts as well as celebrations at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington and a slew of media coverage, including realtime rebroadcasts of the events on the internet.
- Neil Armstrong turns 80 - Aug 05, 2010
- 4th spacewalker Alan Bean says US should focus on Mars now - Jul 20, 2009
- NASA remembers storied past, but looks to uncertain future (Flashback 2009) - Dec 30, 2009
- Second man on moon files for divorce - Jun 17, 2011
- 40th Anniversary Of Astronauts Landing On The Moon - Jul 21, 2009
- Man's first step on moon: lost footage found, restored - Sep 29, 2010
- NASA's Orion 'moon' craft that could put man on asteroid unveiled - Mar 23, 2011
- 5 little-known facts about the Moon landing - Jul 22, 2009
- Apollo astronauts dream of trip to Mars - Jul 21, 2009
- NASA Commemorates The 25th Anniversary Of The Lethal Disaster Involving The Space Shuttle 'Challenger' - Jan 28, 2011
- Obama's Moon plans 'catastrophic', say former NASA astronauts - Mar 13, 2010
- 1969 moon landing remastered video shown for first time - Oct 07, 2010
- Buzz Aldrin: To the moon and beyond - Jul 17, 2009
- Moon landing still fascinates 40 years after `one small step' - Jul 19, 2009
- Neil Armstrong: A man who shuns the limelight - Jul 18, 2009
Tags: 40th anniversary, air and space, air and space museum, american heroes, apollo 11 crew, apollo astronauts, barack obama, buzz aldrin, calm under pressure, fellow crew member, heroism, inspirational moments, journey to the moon, july 20 1969, lunar surface, member michael, michael collins, nasa events, national air and space museum, neil armstrong