Neil Armstrong, the first human to stand on another world, died yesterday at age 82.
Some people have a tendency to compare Armstrong to Christopher Columbus. Both commanded the first voyages to new worlds, after all. That's the only real similarity, however. Columbus spent years promoting his project in various European royal courts before finally securing backing from Spain. Armstrong was entrusted with the command of Apollo 11 because of his proven abilities as a pilot and astronaut.
The world got more than that after the crew of Apollo 11 returned home. As the first man on the Moon, Armstrong was in a unique position. After leaving NASA, Armstrong could have entered politics, or made a fortune selling his name and image promoting products. Instead, he built a quiet life in academia and business, rarely re-entering the public sphere. While Columbus died a bitter, disillusioned man, Armstrong seems to have been content with his life after Apollo 11. We should all be so fortunate, and so comfortable with ourselves.
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