One Giant Leap by Leon Wagener Book Analysis

đź“ŚCategory: Biographies, Books, Literature
đź“ŚWords: 1085
đź“ŚPages: 4
đź“ŚPublished: 27 January 2022

Neil Armstrong is best recognized as the first person to set foot on the moon. In the book, One Giant Leap, Leon Wagener expounds on Armstrong’s life, and the ideas and people that influenced him. While his visit to the moon is noted as his highest achievement, Wagener reveals that Armstrong was a man of many accomplishments, though they are less famous. As well as being a great pilot and engineer, Armstrong was a man of impeccable character and reliability, both of which contributed to his success in life. The curiosity Neil Armstrong pursued in his childhood engendered the cultivation of self-discipline and perseverance to be utilized during his schooling and careers, enabling him to succeed, and pursue his dreams in aerospace engineering as a test pilot and, ultimately, as an astronaut, becoming the first man on the moon. 

The defining aspect of Neil Armstrong’s childhood was his exposure to and interest in ideas of flight and space. Neil Alden Armstrong was born on August 5, 1930 to Stephen and Viola Armstrong in the small agricultural town of Wapakoneta, Ohio. As a small child, Neil was fascinated by the night sky, specifically with the moon, secretly dreaming of one day setting foot on the lunar surface. The desire to pursue a career in aeronautics arose from his first ride in a plane with his father as a boy. From then on, flight captivated Neil, who began building model planes, researching flight at the Wapakoneta library, and, eventually taking flight lessons in a plane much like the plane he first rode in. Such obsession with aeronautics drove Neil to excel in school, especially in math and the sciences, those subjects which were of primary importance to his future aeronautics career. The love of flight and interest in space developed during his childhood inspired Armstrong, and gave him motivation to succeed. 

The strong desire to pursue a career in aeronautics influenced Armstrong to get an aeronautical engineering degree at Purdue and become a test pilot. Upon graduating high school, Neil Armstrong discovered the V-12 program offered by the Navy, a program that would provide a student with a four year college scholarship in exchange for four years of active military duty. Enrolling in the program, Armstrong matriculated to Purdue University and began studying to obtain a degree in aeronautical engineering. However, four semesters into the program, Neil was summoned by the Navy for service as a fighter pilot in the Korean War. In Korea, Neil excelled as a pilot, winning numerous prestigious awards for his valorous service. Neil’s experience as a pilot in the war would prove valuable in his future careers as both a test pilot and an astronaut.  Returning to Purdue, Neil met his future wife, Jan Shearon, and finished his degree. Marrying Jan in January of 1956, they moved to California, where Neil took a position as a test pilot at Edwards Air Force Base, at the time, the leading high-speed flight research facility and a precursor to NASA. As a test pilot at Edwards, Neil gained skills necessary to become an astronaut, including experience in high gravity environments and the ability to solve problems in high-stress environments. These abilities and his experience attracted the attention of a young NASA, who recruited Neil to join the Gemini/Apollo space program as an astronaut.

Armstrong’s proven capability as an astronaut on the Gemini 8 mission provided for his selection to become the first man on the moon with the Apollo 11 program. Gemini 8 was the first spaceflight mission Armstrong participated in. Details of the mission included a space rendezvous and a dock with the satellite Atlas-Agena. Despite experiencing deviations from the planned course due to thruster malfunctions, Armstrong, along with Air Force Major David Scott, was able to safely complete all aspects of the mission and successfully return to Earth. The spaceflight experience Armstrong gained on Gemini 8 provided for his selection to become the first man on the moon by participating in the Apollo 11 program. To prepare for the historic venture, Armstrong, as well as his crewmates, spent nearly 900 hours training in simulators, specifically, the lunar landing training vehicle, or LLTV. When the date of launch, July 16, 1969, finally arrived, the crew was thoroughly prepared for any potential challenges. Fortunately, launch in the Saturn V rocket proceeded smoothly, bringing the astronauts on a perfect course to the moon in roughly 3 days. Once the module began to draw near the moon’s orbit, Armstrong and Aldrin transferred themselves to the lunar landing module, the Eagle. Descent to the moon’s surface presented a few challenges. Due to the numerous boulders sprinkling the designated landing spot, Neil was forced to reroute the landing by a few miles to avert a crash. Nevertheless, the landing proved successful and Armstrong made “One small step for man, and one giant leap for mankind.” On the surface, the astronauts took pictures, gathered samples, and jumped around in the low gravity environment. The return trip was just as successful as the launch, and the astronauts returned safely to earth. 

The years following Armstrong’s moon landing stole his privacy, but the fame gained from his moonwalk provided the opportunity for him to make advances in other fields. For many years and immediately after his moon trip, Neil served as publicity for NASA and as a goodwill ambassador for the United States. Eventually, the ceremonies and public appearances required by his role caused Armstrong to tire of public relations. For a change of pace, Armstrong accepted a position at the University of Cincinnati as a professor. After a turn as a professor, Armstrong went on to hold various positions on committees and businesses at the forefronts of technology due to his unique expertise. Along with this, Armstrong gave many talks about his experiences as an astronaut and endorsed agencies pursuing advances in space exploration. Although his moon landing was his highest achievement, Armstrong continued to achieve later in life, in all that he did, using his experience and knowledge to influence and inspire others. 

One Giant Leap presents an in-depth analysis of the pivotal moments in Neil Armstrong’s life, as well as the circumstances that influenced him to advance space exploration. Including elements such as cultural context and comments from individuals knowledgeable of Neil’s life, the book establishes a life filled with curiosity and reveals a person who sought higher dreams for himself. As a biography, I highly recommend One Giant Leap for its wealth of detailed information on Neil’s life and influences. I appreciated the narrative form Wagener chose to present Armstrong’s life with, because it both made events relatable and Armstrong’s actions inspiring. From the book, I myself was impacted by the dedication the book revealed Armstrong to possess. I hope that I might also pursue my own passions with such discipline and initiative to succeed. Like Armstrong, I am inspired to chase my own goals in hopes of furthering some aspect of the world in a positive light. Then, I too might take a small step that can become a great advance for mankind.

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