Michael Collins

Official NASA photo of Michael Collins (1930-2021), Command Module Pilot of the Apollo 11 mission. Collins is sometimes called “the forgotten astronaut” because his position required him to orbit the moon rather than walk on the lunar surface with Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. However, Collins was proud of his position and more concerned with the safety of his fellow astronauts and the joy of achieving President Kennedy’s goal than walking on the moon himself. After retiring from NASA in 1970, Collins would go on to oversee construction of the Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum.

Official NASA photo of Michael Collins (1930-2021), Command Module Pilot of the Apollo 11 mission. Collins is sometimes called “the forgotten astronaut” because his position required him to orbit the moon rather than walk on the lunar surface with Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. However, Collins was proud of his position and more concerned with the safety of his fellow astronauts and the joy of achieving President Kennedy’s goal than walking on the moon himself. After retiring from NASA in 1970, Collins would go on to oversee construction of the Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum.