July 20 marks the 40th anniversary of men first landing on another celestial body. And in looking back at this historic time, lawmakers from the state that’s home to Kennedy Space Center ( KSC ) want the nation to honor two major firsts from the early days of America’s space program, starting with the lunar landing.
Florida’s two U.S. senators, joined by three of their House colleagues, Friday announced legislation to bestow the distinguished Congressional Gold Medal – the highest civilian award given by Congress – on the crew of Apollo 11 that carried out the near-miraculous July 20, 1969 moon landing. Neil A. Armstrong and Edwin E. “Buzz” Aldrin Jr. were the first and second humans to set boot on the moon, while command module pilot Michael Collins orbited above.
The lawmakers also want to award what their legislation dubs the “New Frontier Congressional Gold Medal” to the first American who orbited the Earth, John Herschel Glenn Jr. At 87, Glenn is retired from the U.S. Senate and living in his home state of Ohio.
The legislation would authorize the president to award the Congressional Gold Medal to each of the four astronauts for “their significant contributions to society.” In the country’s 233-year history only about 200 medals have been awarded.
George Washington received the first one in 1776. Other previous recipients of the Congressional Gold Medal range from entertainer Frank Sinatra to inventor Thomas Edison to baseball star Roberto Clemente to First Lady Nancy Reagan to religious figures such as Pope John Paul II. A medal also has been given to groups, like, the Tuskegee Airmen.
Interestingly, the legislation for the new gold medal comes a day before the induction of three new space explorers into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame at KSC. Being inducted there Saturday are space shuttle veterans George “Pinky” Nelson, William Shepherd and Jim Wetherbee. They’ll be joining the elite ranks of 70 other legendary astronauts that already include Armstrong, Aldrin, Collins and Glenn.
Florida Democrat Bill Nelson – himself a crew member of the space shuttle Columbia in 1986 – was joined today by his U.S. Senate colleague from the Sunshine State, Republican Mel Martinez, in introducing the legislation that would award Armstrong, Aldrin, Collins and Glenn the prestigious congressional medal. Other initial cosponsors include Sens. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, Judd Gregg of New Hampshire, Daniel Inouye of Hawaii and David Vitter of Louisiana.
On the House side, Democratic U.S. Reps. Alan Grayson, Suzanne Kosmas and Republican Bill Posey will offer the companion measure Monday.
“Our space program has given us so many things that have improved the quality of life here on Earth, from fire resistant material to weather forecasting equipment to scratch-resistant lenses to certain kinds of laser surgery,” Nelson said today. “It also has given us selfless heroes who put their lives on the line to soar through the heavens for the benefit of those now living – and, for generations to come.”
“The motivation, pride, and technological leadership the lunar landing project gave our nation has been unmatched by any project undertaken by any nation since. It’s fitting to honor the people and the project that brought America to the forefront of technological advancements and space exploration, ” said Martinez, a neighbor of Nelson’s in Orlando with their homes practically in the shadow of KSC.
Grayson and Kosmas, both from Central Florida, sit on a House committee that oversees the nation’s space agency, NASA. And Posey’s congressional district includes a part of KSC, where he used to work years ago during the Apollo program.
“I was eleven years old that day, and I watched the moon landing, joining much of humanity in celebrating this tremendous collective accomplishment,” Grayson recalled. “I remember at the time thinking that human kind as a species is capable of true greatness. While wolves howl at the moon, humans visit it.”
Said Kosmas, “By putting their lives on the line to advance space exploration, these four astronauts not only risked personal danger, but also cemented America’s position as a leader in space, science and technology.”
Added Posey, “As a young man, one of the most exciting parts of my life was working on the Apollo program, particularly Apollo 11. And like every American alive at that time, the image of the first step on the moon will be etched in my mind as long as I live.”
It was Armstrong who made the first human step onto the lunar dust, while uttering the now-famous words, “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” Armstrong, who, like Glenn, is from Ohio, was a naval aviator when he was chosen to be an astronaut in 1962. He was command pilot for Gemini 8 before Apollo 11.
Armstrong left NASA in 1971 to become a professor of aeronautical engineering at the University of Cincinnati. He served on the National Commission on Space from 1985 to 1986 and on the Presidential Commission on the Space Shuttle Challenger Accident in 1986.
Aldrin, a New Jersey native, was an Air Force pilot who became an astronaut in 1963. He was a pilot on Gemini 12, and was the lunar module pilot for Apollo 11, which landed on the moon with less than 45 seconds worth of fuel and the buzz of several warning alarms.
Aldrin left NASA in 1971, retired from the Air Force in 1972, and became a consultant. He has authored several books, including Return to Earth.
Prior to joining NASA in 1963, Collins was a test pilot for the Air Force. He served as a pilot for Gemini 10, and as command module pilot for Apollo 11.
He left NASA in 1970 and became director of the National Air and Space Museum at the Smithsonian Institution in April 1971. He has two books, Carrying the Fire and Liftoff, as well as a children’s book, Flying to the Moon and Other Strange Places.
Seven years before the moon landing, Glenn did something no American had ever done before. And 36 years later, he made history a second time. Glenn was the first American to orbit the earth, and became an instant American hero. And at the age of 77, he became the oldest person ever to go into space.
He served as a U.S. senator from Ohio for 24 years until 1998. Glenn now divides his time between Ohio and Washington, D.C., where he has advised President Obama on NASA.
