Apollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins dies at 90, family says

[Eugene]

Source: NY Daily News

Astronaut Michael Collins, who was part of the Apollo 11 crew, has died after a “valiant” battle with cancer, his family announced in a statement Wednesday. He was 90.

“He spent his final days peacefully, with his family by his side,” the statement reads. “Mike always faced the challenges of life with grace and humility, and faced this, his final challenge, in the same way. We will miss him terribly.”

The Italy-born astronaut was the command module pilot for the historic 1969 lunar mission. He circled the moon aboard Apollo 11 as fellow astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed and walked on its surface.

“Today the nation lost a true pioneer and lifelong advocate for exploration in astronaut Michael Collins,” acting NASA Administrator Steve Jurczyk said in a statement.

-snip-

By NELSON OLIVEIRA
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS |
APR 28, 2021 AT 12:35 PM


Read more: https://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/ny-michael-collins-apollo-astronaut-dead-cancer-battle-20210428-dynx26wcszdyfjx4jjyo3ya6nm-story.html

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Related: Statements on Passing of Michael Collins (NASA)

[MerryHolidays]

1. Wonderful person and great hero

Thank you, General Collins, for being a genuine hero and for being a rock of stability. Rest in peace, Sir.

[hamsterjill]

2. We've lost a brave soul.

May he Rest In Peace and assurance.

[Pobeka]

3. RIP

[Dennis Donovan]

4. Cross Gently, General Collins.

🚀👩?🚀

[Snackshack]

5. Sad to see this.

Listening to him in interviews was always a joy. The excitement and admiration he had for Space always came thru.

[cab67]

6. At one point, he was the most remote human being in history.

His orbits would put him on the opposite side of the moon from the lunar module with Armstrong and Aldrin. This also put him on the opposite side of the moon from the earth. The two closest human beings to him were literally on the other side of the moon, and everyone else was on an entirely different celestial body.

He took a picture of the lunar module, with the earth behind it, after the lunar and command modules separated. That one photograph included every animal and plant on or from earth with one exception - himself.

[AllaN01Bear]

7. dang , i watched the apollo 11 landing when i was a boy.

silent key . he was the least known member of that crew who sat in the command module whilst the others did their moon walkabout.

[48656c6c6f20]

8. A man all alone

[FailureToCommunicate]

11. Thanks. I was going to post this. RIP Michael Collins

"I'm with you L.E.M
Though it's a shame that it had to be you
The mother ship
Is just a blip from your trip made for two
I'm with you boys
So please employ just a little extra care
It's on my mind
I'm left behind when I should have been there
Walking with you"

[tonekat]

18. Nice to see this song here

I posted it on another forum today.

[oldsoftie]

9. I always wished he'd been able to do one more mission & walked the moon himself.

[PoliticAverse]

10. Rest in peace fire carrying guy. n/t

[turbinetree]

12. "Carrying the Fire," he addressed his role as the "forgotten astronaut" during the Apollo 11 mission

“Far from feeling lonely or abandoned, I feel very much a part of what is taking place on the lunar surface,” he wrote. “I know that I would be a liar or a fool if I said that I have the best of the three Apollo 11 seats, but I can say with truth and equanimity that I am perfectly satisfied with the one I have. This venture has been structured for three men, and I consider my third to be as necessary as either of the other two.”

[RobinA]

15. I Have Never

forgotten him. I was always conscious of him way out there when I saw moon landing pictures or watched it live.

[turbinetree]

16. And he was very humble in his role in that history........

[FakeNoose]

13. He was the ultimate team player

Rest in Peace Gen. Michael Collins and thank you sir, for your bravery and your service.

[sarge43]

14. CAVU, Airman

Thank you and rest in starlight.

[drmeow]

17. He was my mom's cousin

I met him twice - once when we visited him at the Smithsonian in 1978 or 1979 and once at a Collins family reunion about 20 years ago.

I'm guessing my mom would like to go to the memorial but I don't think it will be possible.

[Larissa]

19. BBC Interview with Michael Collins

The host of the BBC's show HARDtalk, Stephen Sackur, interviewed Michael Collins on the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission to the Moon. These astronauts knew that the chances of the mission failing somewhere along the line were relatively high, but they were optimistic about surviving. (In the event of a mishap, a statement had already been drawn up.) Collins mentions that the maneuver they prepared for the most, during the training for the mission, was the rendezvous and docking of the lunar "Eagle" module with the "Columbia" (manned by Collins) for the return flight home. Talk about having the "right stuff!" The other thing I never thought of was the loss of contact with Mission Control during Collins' flybys on the far side of the moon.