Provided by Texas Tech University
Neil Armstrong took "a giant leap for mankind" when he became the first man to set foot on the moon in 1969. Forty-three years later, the world mourns his passing.
Al Sacco, dean of the Whitacre College of Engineering, flew as payload specialist aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia for mission STS-73 in 1995. He issued the following statement on Armstrong's passing:
"I only met Neil Armstrong one time. I was amazed that such a famous person was so modest and unassuming. My colleagues told me he was the consummate test pilot, nerves of steel and very intelligent. However when you talked to him, he was very understated and very shy. He was just a very, very nice guy and a real American hero.
"It is a sad day for all humanity on planet earth. He was one of our best."
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