While the team that was behind the operation was large and diverse, the face of space exploration was Neil Armstrong. Others before him had flown missions in space, but Neil's iconic first steps on the surface of the moon, the first steps of any human on a celestial object other than our earth, will be remembered for generations. It ignited the imaginations of the public. It turned astronauts into rock stars. And it drove many youth to pursue the sciences. This is why we send exploratory robots to Mars. Because humanity needs more science rockstars. Science needs more driven minds, more enthusiasm and imagination. And the best way to ignite that imagination and wonder is to put another rock star on the surface of another extra terrestrial world. Neil Armstrong paved the way, and showed the world that human kind has the will and the capability to leave our terrestrial home and explore the universe. RIP Rocket Man.
