I thought the attractions of being an astronaut were actually, not so much the Moon, but flying in a completely new medium.

Each book holds an experience and an adventure.”[Letters of Note; Troy (MI, USA) Public Library, 1971]

Yeah, I wasn’t chosen to be first. I was just chosen to command that flight. Circumstance put me in that particular role. That wasn’t planned by anyone.

It’s a brilliant surface in that sunlight. The horizon seems quite close to you because the curvature is so much more pronounced than here on earth. It’s an interesting place to be. I recommend it.

I’m substantially concerned about the policy directions of the space agency. We have a situation in the U.S. where the White House and Congress are at odds over what the future direction should be. They’re...

Mystery creates wonder and wonder is the basis of man’s desire to understand.

All in all, for someone who was immersed in, fascinated by, and dedicated to flight, I was disappointed by the wrinkle in history that had brought me along one generation late. I had missed all...

In much of society, research means to investigate something you do not know or understand.

I guess we all like to be recognized not for one piece of fireworks, but for the ledger of our daily work.

It suddenly struck me that that tiny pea, pretty and blue, was the Earth. I put up my thumb and shut one eye, and my thumb blotted out the planet Earth. I didn’t feel like...

The one thing I regret was that my work required an enormous amount of my time, and a lot of travel.

I believe that every human has a finite number of heartbeats. I don’t intend to waste any of mine running around doing exercises.

I am, and ever will be, a white socks, pocket protector, nerdy engineer.

This is one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.

If that’s there, I believe that technology will probably step up to their part of it.

Well, I think we tried very hard not to be overconfident, because when you get overconfident, that’s when something snaps up and bites you.

The Eagle has landed.

Research is creating new knowledge.

Knowledge is fundamental to all human achievements and progress. It is both the key and the quest that advances mankind. The search for knowledge is what brought men to the moon; but it took knowledge...

Science has not yet mastered prophecy. We predict too much for the next year and yet far too little for the next 10.

That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.

Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the Moon. July 1969 AD. We came in peace for all mankind.

I believe every human has a finite number of heartbeats. I don’t intend to waste any of mine.

As a boy, because I was born and raised in Ohio, about 60 miles north of Dayton, the legends of the Wrights have been in my memories as long as I can remember.

Pilots take no special joy in walking. Pilots like flying.

Geologists have a saying – rocks remember.

I put up my thumb and it blotted out the planet Earth.

Houston, Tranquillity Base here. The Eagle has landed.

People love conspiracy theories.

I fully expected that, by the end of the century, we would have achieved substantially more than we actually did.

I think we’re going to the moon because it’s in the nature of the human being to face challenges. It’s by the nature of his deep inner soul… we’re required to do these things just...

I can honestly say – and it’s a big surprise to me – that I have never had a dream about being on the moon.

I was elated, ecstatic and extremely surprised that we were successful.

Gliders, sail planes, they’re wonderful flying machines. It’s the closest you can come to being a bird.

NASA has been one of the most successful public investments in motivating students to do well and achieve all they can achieve. It’s sad that we are turning the programme in a direction where it...

That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind

We had hundreds of thousands of people all dedicated to doing the perfect job, and I think they did about as well as anyone could ever have expected.

The important achievement of Apollo was demonstrating that humanity is not forever chained to this planet and our visions go rather further than that and our opportunities are unlimited.