This post has been recovered from an alternative blogging platform that I've not used in many years. Some of the content may have been reworded so that it makes sense in the context of this site, however the substance of the content will be unchanged.
Dear friend
On August 25, 2012, the human civilisation suffered a great loss. Neil Alden Armstrong passed away after undergoing cardiovascular surgery at the ripe age of 82. Armstrong was a huge inspiration to astronauts today, and will continue to inspire the astronauts of the future.
Not only was he the first man on the moon, which is a massive bragging right on its own, he was, and forever will be, the first human being to set foot on another celestial body. We'll have men on Mars, we'll have men travelling to the outer solar system and exploring new worlds, but they will never be the first person to step foot on another world. Armstrong will have beaten them. And proudly so, I might add.
I hope that the human civilisation continues long enough to multiply and populate the universe long before our sun dies out. It is absolutely vital for our species' survival to spread out and look for a new home. I know I might not live to see it happen, but I hope that in generations to come my descendants will value the glory of space and science as much as I. I hope space travel becomes just an everyday thing; much like driving down to the store each morning is to us now. Or that we can take vacations to other worlds (the moon or Mars are probably the most viable candidates for a holiday spot this time of year. No hurricanes, no tornadoes, no beach offenders with their metal detectors digging up sand into your face just to find a two pence coin and leaving you with a gritty ice cream cone you wish you'd never bought in the blazing heat on a hot summer's day and you forgot your drink because you're senile. Hmm… Too far?)
Nevertheless, it is a great achievement on its own to say that we (humans in general) have escaped the bounds of Earth's gravity. No amount of disbelief that the moon landing was real can change the fact we are stepping out into an unknown and bold cosmic journey. As Neil Tyson would say, “onward to the edge”.
On that note, I found out the other day that my grandmother is one of those who believe the moon landing was a hoax. If you are one of those people that believes it was fake, you are simply outright ignorant. She claims the radiation would be too deadly, or that the flag couldn't have fluttered about from the lack of an atmosphere. Both of these claims (and many more) are debunked here.
One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. And three giant steps backward for those who believe the moon landing is fake.
R.I.P. You fortunate cosmic bastard, you. Leaving Earth once again.