Apollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins dies aged 90: NASA pilot who flew command module Columbia during the Moon landing passes away after ‘valiant’ battle with cancer
- Astronaut Michael Collins has passed away at the age of 90
- Collins had been battling cancer for years, his family said in a statement
- Collins was part of the three-man Apollo 11 crew that first landed on the moon
Apollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins has died at the age of 90 after a battle with cancer, his family confirmed Wednesday morning.
Collins was part of the three-man crew that made history with a lunar landing in 1969, but unlike Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, he never walked on the moon.
However, Collins was tasked with piloting the command module that circled 60 miles above his comrades and took home a different and unique experience of the mission.
‘The thing I remember most is the view of planet Earth from a great distance,’ he said later. ‘Tiny. Very shiny. Blue and white. Bright. Beautiful. Serene and fragile.’
The family of astronaut Michael Collins confirmed Wednesday morning that he had passed away following a ‘valiant’ battle with cancer. Collins, 90, was part of the three-man Apollo 11 crew that made history with a lunar landing in 1969.
‘Today the nation lost a true pioneer and lifelong advocate for exploration in astronaut Michael Collins,’ said acting NASA Administrator Steve Jurczyk.’
‘As pilot of the Apollo 11 command module – some called him ‘the loneliest man in history’ – while his colleagues walked on the Moon for the first time, he helped our nation achieve a defining milestone.
‘He also distinguished himself in the Gemini Program and as an Air Force pilot.’