Written by: Aashrab Khanal - 2022001, Grade XI
Posted on: 02 May, 2021
Three great men changed history forever by accomplishing their mission to go to the moon. One of them was Michael Collins who was part of the Apollo 11 crew which launched from earth on July 16, 1969, at 13:32:00 UTC. Even though Michael Collins did not walk on the moon, he flew the command module Columbia and had a crucial role in the mission.
Michael Collins was born on October 31, 1930, in Rome. He grew up in a family where most of them were part of the U.S. military. Collins graduated from the United States Military Academy in June of 1952. Collins was selected as part of the third group of astronauts by NASA in 1963 to participate in the Gemini and Apollo programs. Collins’ was first assigned to Gemini 7 as a backup pilot. But his first spaceflight was on Gemini 10. The goals of the mission were to perform 15 experiments and also undertake 2 spacewalks. During the training for Apollo 11, Collins was offered to get back into the crew sequence which would have made him commander of the upcoming missions. But he rejected the offer and wanted to stop participating in space programs because his schedule had affected his family’s life like many of his astronaut friends. He believed that he could fulfill John F . Kennedy’s promise that Americans would land on the moon within the decade. On July 21, Eagle lifted off the surface of the moon and rejoined Collins aboard the Columbia. Collins and the other astronauts safely returned to earth on July 24, 1969.
After working at NASA, Collins was appointed to the position of Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs. After that, he became the director of the National Air and Space Museum. Collins was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 2011. Michael Collins passed away from cancer on April 28, 2021, at the age of 90.
Source: Wikipedia[“Michael Collins(astronaut)”,2021]
