On July 16, 1969 three men, Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong, and Michael Collins launched into the sky aboard Saturn V AS-506 to start the Apollo 11 mission.
Four days later, on July 20, 1969, Buzz and Neil entered the Eagle to begin preparations for lunar landing. Later, Eagle separated from Columbia to begin descent to the lunar surface.
Armstrong stepped off Eagle’s footpad and declared: “That’s one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind.” The first human had stepped foot on the Moon.
Buzz joined Armstrong a few minutes later with the simple phrase: “Magnificent desolation.”
But, during the entire process, Michael Collins orbited the Moon. Alone. Forty eight minutes of each orbit he was out of radio contact with the Earth as Columbia passed the far side of the Moon. “Not since Adam has any human known such solitude as Mike Collins,” the mission log said.
Michael Collins passed away today at age 90.
And then there was one…
