PhotoBlog - neil-armstrong

Sep

2012

4:41pm, EDT

Neil Armstrong's ashes buried at sea

Bill Ingalls / NASA

U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Paul Nagy and Carol Armstrong, wife of Neil Armstrong, commit the cremated remains of the Apollo 11 astronaut to sea during a service held onboard the USS Philippine Sea today in the Atlantic Ocean.

By Alan Boyle, Science Editor, NBC News

The cremated remains of Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first man to set foot on the moon, were committed to the Atlantic Ocean today, in accordance with the Navy flier's final wish.

Armstrong, who took that historic "one small step" onto the lunar surface in July 1969, died at the age of 82 on Aug. 25, after suffering complications from heart surgery. An estimated 1,500 people — including fellow space icons, political VIPs, his family and admirers — turned out for a national memorial service Thursday at the Washington National Cathedral in the nation's capital.

The setting for today's burial-at-sea ceremony on the Navy missile cruiser Philippine Sea, operating out of its Florida homeport, was much more intimate. Armstrong's widow, Carol, played a key role in the proceedings: Assisted by Navy Lt. Cmdr. Paul Nagy, she passed the remains overboard, then accepted the folded-up U.S. flag from from the ship's commanding officer, Capt. Steve Shinego.

The service followed the Navy's time-honored tradition, featuring remarks by Navy chaplain Donald Troast, three volleys fired in tribute from a firing squad, and the playing of "Taps." Family members and a smattering of close friends attended the ceremony alongside white-uniformed Navy personnel. The ship's flag flew at half-mast. In fact, U.S. flags around the world were flying at half-staff today in Armstrong's honor.

Armstrong was not only a veteran of NASA's Gemini 8 mission in 1966 and the Apollo 11 moonshot in 1969, which came at the climax of the U.S.-Soviet space race. Long before he became an astronaut, Armstrong was a veteran of 78 combat missions as a Navy fighter pilot during the Korean War. He could have had a memorial in a place of honor at Arlington National Cemetery, but instead chose a Navy burial at sea. That's totally consistent with Armstrong's image as a "reluctant American hero" who had no desire for celebrity.

The family did not provide details about today's service, but Navy spokesman Ed Zeigler said the procedure typically calls for the urn and its contents to be deposited into the ocean. Nowadays, many of the urns used for this purpose are biodegradable, meaning that they dissolve soon after being placed in the water.

Here are some of NASA photographer Bill Ingalls' pictures from the ceremony, posted to the agency headquarters' Flickr gallery:

Bill Ingalls / NASA

Family members of the late Neil Armstrong and members of the U.S. Navy stand during the burial-at-sea service on Friday.

Bill Ingalls / NASA

Members of the U.S. Navy ceremonial guard hold an American flag over the cremated remains of Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong during Friday's service.

Bill Ingalls / NASA

U.S. Navy Capt. Steve Shinego, commanding officer of the USS Philippine Sea, presents the U.S. flag to Carol Armstrong following the burial-at-sea service on Friday. One of Neil Armstrong's sons, Rick, is sitting next to Carol, with other family members nearby. Among the attendees were the astronaut's other son, Mark; and his brother and sister, Dean Armstrong and June Hoffman.

More about Neil Armstrong:

Alan Boyle is NBCNews.com's science editor. Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's Facebook page, following @b0yle on Twitter and adding the Cosmic Log page to your Google+ presence. To keep up with Cosmic Log as well as NBCNews.com's other stories about science and space, sign up for the Tech & Science newsletter, delivered to your email in-box every weekday. You can also check out "The Case for Pluto," my book about the dwarf planet and the search for new worlds.

Aug

2012

3:45pm, EDT

Friends, family and nation honor astronaut Neil Armstrong

Bill Ingalls / AFP - Getty Images

Carol Armstrong, wife of Neil Armstrong, and Piper Van Wagenen, one of 10 grandchildren, seen during a memorial service celebrating the life of Neil Armstrong, Friday, at the Camargo Club in Cincinnati. Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon during the 1969 Apollo 11 mission, died August 25, 2012. He was 82.

Bill Ingalls / NASA via EPA

Carol Armstrong, wife of Neil Armstrong, and Piper Van Wagenen, one of the late astronaut's 10 grandchildren, watch an honor guard pass by during a memorial service on Friday at the Camargo Club in Cincinnati.

Bill Ingalls / NASA Handout via EPA

Apollo 11 Astronauts Michael Collins, left, and Buzz Aldrin talk at a private memorial service celebrating the life of Neil Armstrong, at the Camargo Club in Cincinnati, Ohio, Friday.

Roberto Gonzalez / Getty Images

The U.S. flag flies at half mast outside the Vehicle Assembly Building in honor of Neil Armstrong at the Kennedy Space Center, Friday in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

NBC News and news services: U.S. flags flew at half-staff on Friday in memory of Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, who was honored by fellow astronauts and other VIPs as a "brave, reluctant hero."

Ohio-born Armstrong passed away on Aug. 25 at the age of 82, due to complications that arose from heart surgery earlier in the month. President Barack Obama ordered that flags be flown at half-staff as a mark of respect for Armstrong, who landed on the moon on July 20, 1969, with Apollo 11 crewmate Buzz Aldrin.

It was Armstrong, the mission commander, who first emerged from the lunar module and placed the first human footprint on a celestial body beyond Earth. "That's one small step for a man — one giant leap for mankind," he declared.

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