“Mike always faced the challenges of life with grace and humility, and faced this, his final challenge, in the same way.
Collins stayed in lunar orbit in 1969, while Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin visited the moon’s surface, becoming the first men to step foot on a planet other than Earth.
Whether his work was behind the scenes or on full view, his legacy will always be as one of the leaders who took America’s first steps into the cosmos.
Collins was alone for nearly 28 hours before Armstrong and Aldrin finished their tasks on the moon’s surface and lifted off in the lunar lander in 1969.
“There is no doubt he inspired a new generation of scientists, engineers, test pilots, and astronauts,” he said.
Michael Collins FILE PHOTO: Astronaut Michael Collins smiles as he practices opening the hatch between the command module and the Apollo Lunar Module, June 28, 1969.