5 Famous Astronauts You Should Learn About

Out of This World

Space travel is one of the few things that still manages to fill our hearts with wonder. It's no surprise, then, that many of the people involved in it are some of the most impressive and legendary figures of all time. With that in mind, here are 5 of the most significant astronauts.

1. Yuri Gagarin

In 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first person in space when he orbited the Earth 203 miles up. His first words from space were: “I see the Earth. It’s so beautiful!” A true hero, Gagarin was a brave pilot who passed away in a training flight accident seven years after his amazing achievement.

2. Neil Armstrong

Neil Armstrong was an American astronaut who was the first human to step on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission in 1969. He said during the mission, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” which is now legendary. Armstrong spent over twenty-one hours on the moon, performing experiments and collecting samples. He then quietly lived out his life teaching and flying.

3. John Glenn

Glenn orbited Earth in 1962, three times in Friendship 7, becoming the first American to do so. In 1957, Glenn became the first person to cross the U.S. at supersonic speed, then one of NASA's Mercury Seven astronauts. In 1974, he became a U.S. Senator and, at 77, the oldest person to fly in space in 1998.

4. Alan Shepard

Alan Shepard was an American astronaut and the first American in space. After World War II and a career as a test pilot, Shepard was launched into space and eventually walked on the moon, becoming one of twelve people to do so. Shepard hit a golf ball on the surface of the moon. Shepard is notable for flying twice with NASA.

5. Buzz Aldrin

Buzz Aldrin was the second person to walk on the moon, landing just after Neil Armstrong during Apollo 11. Aldrin logged nearly 300 hours in space across multiple NASA missions. Following his NASA career, Aldrin was an outspoken advocate for space travel, as well as a somewhat normal worker, including a stint as a car salesman.