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Moon landing SHOCK: Neil Armstrong admitted 'it was a sham' in incredibly candid interview - Express.co.uk

Neil Armstrong led ’s historic Apollo 11 Moon landing 50 years ago this month, launching into space on July 16, 1969. Just four days later, on July 20, together with astronaut Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, Armstrong would become the first man to the walk on the Moon. But half-a-century ago when Armstrong, Aldrin and Command Module Pilot Michael Collins waved to the public for one last time before launch, not all was as it seemed. Now, on the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 launch, an incredible 60 Minutes programme on CBS from 2005 reveals how Commander Armstrong really felt on the day.

Speaking to 60 Minutes’ Ed Bradley in an incredibly rare interview, the “reluctant hero” astronaut admitted his brave face was something of a lie.

Asked about his display of confidence on the day, Armstrong: “Yeah, but it was a little bit of a sham, I admit.

“You know, the reality is a lot of the time you get up there, get up in the cockpit and something goes wrong somewhere and you go back down.

“So, actually, when you actually lift off it’s a surprise.”

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Moon landing: Neil Armstrong NASA astronaut

Moon landing SHOCK: Neil Armstrong spoke candidly about Apollo 11 in 2005 (Image: GETTY)

Moon landing: Apollo 11 crew heading to launch pad

Moon landing: Commander Armstrong had his doubts despite public appearance of bravery in this moment (Image: NASA)

Exactly 50 years ago, the three Apollo 11 astronauts boarded a powerful Saturn 5 rocket aimed at the Moon.

The astronauts' final days before the Apollo 11 launch were caught on camera in a

It was a little bit of a sham, I admit

Neil Armstrong, Apollo 11 astronaut

And the three men were photographed on July 16 leaving the Kennedy Space Center in Florida with Commander Armstrong at the helm.

The astronaut walked out onto the launch pad with a thumb bravely stuck in the air, as the astronauts waved their goodbyes.

Armstrong and his crewmates then took a transport van to Launch Complex 39A where their spacecraft waited for them.

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Then, at exactly 2.30pm BST (9.32am Eastern), Apollo 11 blasted off from Florida, US, and left the Earth for .

Despite whatever uncertainty the astronaut may have had in those final minutes before launch, NASA has remembered Commander Armstrong as a “humble giant” and one America’s “greatest explorers”.

Armstrong died at the age of 82 on August 27, 2012, following complications from cardiovascular procedures.

Buzz Aldrin, who accompanied Armstrong the Moon’s surface, recently

Robert Behnken, then chief of NASA’s Astronaut Office, said: “Neil Armstrong was a very personal inspiration to all of us within the astronaut office.

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Moon landing timeline: Apollo 11 on the Moon

Moon landing timeline: Detailed look back at the Apollo 11 Moon landing (Image: GETTY)

Moon landing: Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin

Moon landing: Neil Armstrong and Edwin 'Buzz' Aldrin before Apollo 11 launch (Image: NASA)

“His historic step onto the Moon's surface was the foundation for many of our personal dreams to become astronauts.

“The only thing that outshone his accomplishments was his humility about those accomplishments.

“We will miss him as a friend, mentor, explorer and ambassador for the American spirit of ingenuity."

Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin were made recipients of the US Presidential Medal of Honor upon their safe return to Earth on July 24, 1969.

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Moon landing fact box: Apollo 11 on the Moon

Moon landing facts: Apollo 11 landed on the Moon on July 20, 1969 (Image: GETTY)

Quick facts about the Apollo 11 Moon landing:

1. NASA’s Apollo 11 mission took off from Cape Canaveral in Florida on July 16, 1969.

2. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin only spent around three hours outside on the Moon.

3. Apollo 11’s Eagle Lunar Module landed with less than 30 seconds of fuel left.

4. Neil Armstrong spoke to President Richard Nixon while on the phone.

5. Apollo 11 returned to Earth and landed in the Pacific Ocean on July 24, 1969.

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https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/1153892/Moon-landing-Neil-Armstrong-it-was-sham-Apollo-11-anniversary-astronaut-interview

2019-07-17 07:26:00Z
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