Apollo 11 astronauts honored for 'astonishing' mission July 20,
1999 "They blazed a path farther than any we had ever known,"
said Gore in ceremonies at the National Air and Space Museum in
Washington, home to thousands of artifacts, including the Apollo
11 Command Module, moon rocks, spacesuits and photographs. Gore,
who is vice chancellor of the Smithsonian Institution's Board of
Regents, which oversees the museum, presented the prestigious
Langley Gold Medal for aviation to Neil Armstrong, who commanded
Apollo 11 and was the first man to walk on the moon, Edwin A.
"Buzz" Aldrin and Michael Collins. The men met at the White
House with President Clinton, who said they had made "an
extraordinary contribution" to the nation. On July 20, 1969,
Armstrong and Aldrin landed the Apollo lunar module they called
Eagle on the moon's Sea of Tranquillity. Hours later, Armstrong
descended a ladder and became the first to walk on the lunar
surface. Collins remained in lunar orbit aboard the command
ship, Columbia. Gore sa