The National Aviation Hall of Fame on April 28 reported the passing of former Gemini 7 astronaut Major General Michael Collins USAF (Ret.) at age 90. Collins’ family reports via social media that Collins “passed away today, after a valiant battle with cancer.” Collins, a NAHF enshrine, was better known as the Command Module Pilot on the Apollo 11 mission that allowed Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to become the first humans to set foot on the Moon. Mike Collins created the flight’s iconic Apollo 11 mission patch and also served as the first director of the National Air and Space Museum.
Apollo Astronaut Michael Collins Flies West
Key Takeaways:
- Major General Michael Collins USAF (Ret.), the Command Module Pilot for Apollo 11, passed away at age 90 after a battle with cancer.
- Collins is best known for orbiting the Moon alone while Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin made the first lunar landing, and he also designed the iconic Apollo 11 mission patch.
- Beyond his astronaut career, he served as the influential first director of the National Air and Space Museum (NASM), successfully lobbying for its funding and overseeing its construction and highly successful 1976 opening.
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