Neil Armstrong, Manusia Pertama yang Menginjak Bulan Meninggal Dunia

Mantan astronot AS, Neil Armstrong, manusia pertama yang menginjakkan kaki di bulan, telah meninggal dunia pada usia 82 tahun.

Demikian keterangan keluarga Neil Armstrong, seperti dikutip detikcom dari reuters, Minggu (26/8/2012).

Armstrong menjalani operasi jantung awal bulan ini, hanya dua hari setelah ulang tahunnya pada 5 Agustus 2012, untuk meringankan arteri koroner yang tersumbat.

Sebagai komandan misi Apollo 11, Armstrong menjadi manusia pertama yang menginjakkan kaki di bulan pada 20 Juli 1969. Saat ia menginjak permukaan berdebu, Armstrong mengatakan: " Itu sebuah jejak kecil seorang manusia, sebuah lompatan besar bagi seluruh umat manusia"

Kata-kata itu bertahan sebagai salah satu kutipan yang paling terkenal sampai saat ini.

Neil Alden Armstrong masih berusia 38 tahun pada waktu itu. Dan meskipun ia telah memenuhi impian manusia untuk menginjakkan kaki di bulan, dia tidak bersenang-senang dalam keberhasilannya.

"Saya kira kita semua ingin diakui bukan untuk salah satu bagian dari kembang api tetapi untuk buku besar dari pekerjaan kita sehari-hari," kata Armstrong dalam sebuah wawancara di CBS dalam program "60 Minutes" pada tahun 2005.

Dia pernah ditanya bagaimana perasaannya mengetahui jejak kakinya kemungkinan akan tetap di permukaan bulan selama ribuan tahun. "Aku agak berharap bahwa seseorang berjalan di sana suatu hari dan membersihkan jejak tersebut," katanya.

One giant leap: Neil Armstrong, who made the first mission to the moon in 1969 and was the first to step foot on the lunar surface, has died, aged 82

Legacy: A footprint left by one of the astronauts of the Apollo 11 mission shows in the soft, powder surface of the moon

Touchdown: Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong leaves a footprint on the surface of the Moon at Tranquility Base on July 20, 1969

Lunar landing: Astronauts Neil Armstrong, left, and Buzz Aldrin, right, place an American flag on the lunar surface as taken from the Eagle Lunar Module

Tuning in: A shadow-shrouded Neil Armstrong begins to deploy equipment a few minutes after taking the first momentous and historic step; half a billion tuned in to watch the moment

Master and commander: Armstrong commanded the Apollo 11 spacecraft that landed on the moon July 20, 1969, and is pictured smiling in the vessel

Documenting: Armstrong, pictured in April 1969 holding a video camera, spent years training for the monumental launch

Historic: The New York Times cover the day after the landing proudly chronicles the achievement

Moon mission: U.S.astronaut Buzz Aldrin salutes the American flag on the moon's surface; Aldrin was the second man on the moon following Neil Armstrong

Alien landscape: Armstrong, right, is seen at the Lunar Module Eagle on the historic first extravehicular activity (EVA) on the lunar surface; the photo was taken by Buzz Aldrin

Up up and away: On July 16, 1969, the American flag heralded the flight of Apollo 11, the first Lunar landing mission, lifting off with Armstrong and crew inside

The incredible journey: On July 16, 1969, with Neil Armstrong waving in front, the space crew heads for the van that will take them to the rocket for launch to the moon at Kennedy Space Center

Thumbs up: From another angle, Armstrong is seen giving a thumbs up as he and the crew walk to board the shuttle

Trinity: The crew of Apollo 11, pictured in 1969, from left are Neil Armstrong, Mission Commander, Michael Collins, Lt. Col. USAF, and Buzz Aldrin, USAF Lunar Module pilot

Space pioneer: Neil Armstrong poses for a NASA portrait ahead of the historic 1969 Apollo 11 mission

Later days: Armstrong spoke at a celebration dinner honoring John Glenn in Columbus, Ohio in February, but rarely granted interviews or made public appearances

Anniversary: Left to right, Apollo 11 crew members, Buzz Aldrin, Michael Collins, and Neil Armstrong posed for photos with President Obama on the 40th anniversary of the moon landing

Achievement: Speaking in a statement, President Obama said that when Armstrong set foot on the moon, he delivered what he called 'a moment of human achievement that will never be forgotten'; the two are pictured together in 2009

All smiles: In 2011, Armstrong offered his testimony before a House committee hearing on NASA Human Spaceflight Past, Present and Future in Washington

Festivities: The astronauts wave as motorcade carries them through a deluge of ticker-tape and confetti in lower Manhattan on August 14 following the moon landing

Joyful: As they made their way up lower Broadway, the spacemen, from left, are Michael Collins, Edwin Aldrin, Jr., and Neil A. Armstrong, all waved

World travels: From left to right, Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin, seen arriving at Heathrow Airport in London from Berlin for a 24-hour visit to Britain during their 22-nation 38 day world tour later in 1969

Royal encounters: The astronaut and his then-wife Janet, left, met Queen Elizabeth II, far right, and Prince Andrew during a reception at Buckingham Palace after the moon landing

Proper gear: In this March 9, 1966 file photo, Astronaut Neil Armstrong is seated during a suiting up exercise Cape Kennedy, Florida, in preparation for the Gemini 8 flight

Suited up: On March 6, 1966, Armstrong, pilot for the Gemini VIII mission is shown in his gear

Dinner briefings: Here, Apollo 11 astronauts go through more briefings in preparation for their launch their projected trip to the moon from Cape Kennedy, left to right, Michael Collins and Neil Armstrong

Run-through: In 1966, astronauts Neil Armstrong, fourth from left, and David R. Scott, third from left, prepare for a simulated test to get ready for a launch

Meet the press: Armstrong was introduced to the press on September 17, 1962, along with the other astronauts in Houston

Sky miles: Neil Armstrong poses with an X-15 aircraft at the Dryden Flight Research Center in California in an undated NASA handout; before joining NASA, he served as a U.S. Navy pilot in the Korean War