Five Legendary Astronauts Who Have Walked on the Moon

The Cold War ensued after World War II, and it brought about great geological tensions between two of the most powerful nations – the US and the Soviets. Setting aside the negative issues it brought about, it did foster the competitive edge humanity used for the degree of rapid progress it accomplished with science. One aspect of which is space travel. It was a time when these nations commissioned the most brilliant of scientists to come up with the latest technology to get ahead of their rivals.

In 1959, the Soviets powered ahead with Luna 2, the first man-made object to ever touch the moon. A decade later, NASA not only leaped ahead but accomplished one of the greatest feats of science – Apollo 11 arrived on the moon and is given eternal credit for being the first crewed mission to make it on the moon. As such, we pay homage to the great astronauts of NASA who have walked on the moon. All-in-all, these astronauts are Neil Armstrong, Edwin Aldrin, Charles Conrad, Alan Bean, Alan Shepard Jr, Edgar Mitchell, David Scott, James Erwin, John Young, Charles Duke, Eugene Cernan, and Harrison Schmitt. Here is a quick background of five of these legendary NASA astronauts.

Neil Armstrong (Apollo 11)

No other man can ever claim the trophy of being the first-ever to walk on the moon other than the great Neil Armstrong. He is a native of Ohio, who served as a naval aviator from 1949 to 1952, and by 1955, he joined the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, which would later become NASA. There, he served as a test pilot, an engineer, administrator and eventually became an astronaut in 1962. Armstrong would then achieve a great degree of astronomical success in his line of work, piloting Gemini 8 and serving as the commander of Apollo 11. He lived to the fullest until 82 years of age and also served as a professor of Aerospace Engineering.

Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin (Apollo 11)

Buzz is a native of New Jersey, and he served in the US Air Force. He is given credit for 66 combat missions in Korea and would later become one of the iconic figures of aerospace history in taking part in the Apollo 11 mission. He became an astronaut back in 1963 with an impressive qualification of a Ph.D. in astronautics. Before being part of the three-man crew of Apollo 11, he orbited aboard the Gemini XII spacecraft. He was one of the key figures in developing the procedures of space rendezvous and docking.

Charles “Pete” Conrad (Apollo 12)

Pete is the commander of the Apollo 12 mission, who’s not only known for his bravery and intellect but also for his charms and humor. He is given eternal credit for being the third person to walk on the moon, which he accomplished back in November of 1969. He is a native of Philadelphia and is an alumnus of Princeton University. Subsequently, he became a Navy test pilot before becoming a NASA astronaut in 1962.

Alan Bean (Apollo 12)

Alan graduated with a degree in Aeronautical Engineering at the University of Texas. He is a proud Texan, who flew on the Apollo 12 mission as well as on Skylab 3. He boasts of impressive cumulative spaceflight hours of over 1,671. Moreover, he is also one of the astronauts to collect precious lunar soil samples.

Alan Shepard Jr (Apollo 14)

Alan Shepard Jr. was the commander of the Apollo 14 mission. The primary objective of which was for further lunar exploration, obtaining lunar soil samples, and high-resolution space photography. Apollo 14 landed 110 miles east of Apollo 12’s landing site, and not long after, Shepard, along with his crew, set foot on the moon to do an extravehicular activity and accomplish their task.

Photo Sources:

Cover Photo – Pixabay
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Photo 3 – NASA
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