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, the celebrated Apollo 11 Command Module Pilot who orbited the Moon while Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin made the first lunar landing, has passed away at age 90.
- Beyond his critical role in spaceflight, Collins also served as the first director of the National Air and Space Museum, successfully lobbying for its funding and overseeing its construction and highly successful opening in 1976.
- An enshrine of the National Aviation Hall of Fame, Collins persevered to become an astronaut after initial rejection and notably created the iconic Apollo 11 mission patch.
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