Photos: Neil Armstrong - American Icon Remembered

Neil Armstrong (1930-2012)

Neil Armstrong, an American icon and the first man ever to walk on the moon, died Saturday, Aug. 25, 2012, due to complications from heart surgery. NASA marked Armstrong's passing with this memoriam. [Full Story]

Neil Armstrong: American Icon

Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, poses for his NASA portrait ahead of his historic Apollo 11 mission in July 1969.

Neil Armstrong Speaks at NASA's 50th Anniversary Gala

Astronaut. Professor. United States Naval Aviator. First man on the moon. Neil Armstrong, a man who is all these things, addresses guests at NASA's 50th anniversary celebration in 2008.

THE MOON: Then, Now, Next

The Apollo 11 crew, from left: Commander Neil A. Armstrong, Command Module Pilot Michael Collins, and Lunar Module Pilot Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin Jr. On July 20th 1969 at 4:18 PM, EDT the Lunar Module "Eagle" landed in a region of the moon called the Mare Tranquillitatis, also known as the Sea of Tranquility.

Neil Armstrong: X-15 Rocket Pilot

NASA test pilot Neil Armstrong is seen here next to the X-15 ship #1 after a research flight.

Neil Armstrong and Dave Scott: Gemini 8 Crew

Astronauts David R. Scott (left), Pilot; and, Neil A. Armstrong (right), Command Pilot, pose with model of the Gemini Spacecraft after being selected at the crew for the Gemini 8 mission.

Neil Armstrong and Dave Scott Board Gemini 8

Commander Neil Armstrong (right) and pilot David R. Scott prepare to board the Gemini-Titan 8. Gemini VIII successfully launched at 11:41 a.m. EST, March 16, 1966. The mission conducted the first docking of two spacecraft in orbit and landed safely back on Earth after an emergency abort.

Neil Armstrong's Moonwalk Training

In preparation of the nation’s first Lunar landing mission, Apollo 11 crew members underwent training activities to practice activities they would be performing during the mission. In this photograph, Neil Armstrong, donned in his space suit, practices getting back to the first rung of the ladder on the Lunar Module.

Apollo 11 Moonwalk Training: Neil Armstrong

Astronaut Neil A. Armstrong, wearing an Extravehicular Mobility Unit, participates in a simulation of deploying and using lunar tools on the surface of the moon during a training exercise in Building 9 on April 22, 1969. Armstrong is the commander of the Apollo 11 lunar landing mission. In the background is a Lunar Module mock-up.

Neil Armstrong Studies Rock Sample

Astronaut Neil A. Armstrong, commander of the Apollo 11 prime crew, studies rock sample during a geological field trip to the Quitman Mountains area near the Fort Quitman ruins in far west Texas on Feb. 25, 1969.

Neil Armstrong Tests Moon Rock Grabbing

Astronaut Neil A. Armstrong, wearing an Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU), participates in lunar surface simulation training on April 18, 1969, in Building 9, Manned Spacecraft Center. Armstrong is the prime crew commander of the Apollo 11 lunar landing mission. Here, he practices scooping up a lunar sample in this test on April 18, 1969.