Neil Armstrong: Astronaut, Photographer, Photobomber

Once upon a time, on August 5, 1930 to be precise, a young fellow was born. He had a bright future ahead of him: he would become a licensed pilot on his 16^th birthday, he would be a naval air cadet at the age of 17, he would serve in the Korean War and be awarded three Air Medals for being shot down. But the one, most important thing this little guy would do in his wonderful life would be something for all of mankind: he would be the very first person to ever walk on the moon.

Neil Armstrong, a Wapakoneta, Ohio native, worked for NASA before NASA was NASA. In 1955 Armstrong was a research pilot for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), which later became the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Seven years later, he joined the space program with the second group of astronauts for NASA (“Neil Armstrong”). Another seven years later, in 1969, Armstrong would manually land the Apollo 11 vehicle on the moon and deliver his famous statement: That’s one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind. “(In the excitement of the moment, Armstrong skipped the ‘a’ in the statement that he had prepared)” (“Neil Armstrong”). While on the moon, Armstrong spent more than two hours setting up scientific instruments, testing the gravity, collecting samples, and taking photographs. Those iconic photographs would later be published in National Geographic Magazine, on NASA’s website, on NASA’s Flikr account, and several other locations. Armstrong passed away in 2012 from cardiovascular complications, but his legacy will forever be remembered especially through his photographs “Space Pictures This Week: Martian Vista, Neil Armstrong”.

Neil Armstrong was an astronaut with a camera in his hands; but that doesn’t make him any less of a photographer than a person who has spent his whole life studying photography. His images have been studied, debated over, and even recreated. Read Josh Fox’s study on “10 Reasons the Moon Landings Could Be a Hoax” to see what conspiracy theorists are saying about the photographs on Apollo 11’s trip. The MythBusters, a group of scientists who do various experiments to test the legitimacy of rumors, urban legends, and (when possible) conspiracy theories, ran several tests on some of the conspiracy theories pertaining to the lunar landing in 1969. In Episode 104: NASA Moon Landing, air date 27 August 2008, the scientists “busted” every theory (meaning they found no validity in the conspiracy theories) except for one. They confirmed the rumor that the Apollo astronauts left behind special equipment like reflectors that scientists can bounce lasers off of. While Neil Armstrong wasn’t a photographer by trade, he was definitely a photographer at the end of the mission. But what kind of photographer was he?

“Documentary photographers attempt to tell a story through images and try to create a historical record and change society by exposing hidden truths” (“Week 2 Overview”). Armstrong was definitely attempting to create an historical record of his lunar landing. He photographed his footprint in the moon’s surface, he photographed Buzz Aldrin emerging from the craft, he photographed Aldrin standing on the moon. “One of Neil’s tasks was to document the moonwalk, so the vast majority of the first lunar landing photos are of Buzz” (“FAQ What You Always Wanted to Know”). But with no known photographic training, Armstrong would be considered a documentary photographer with vernacular aesthetics (or snapshot technique). “Without previsualization or directed control by the photographer, advocates of the snapshot aesthetics claimed a snapshot represented authentic life. Photographers captured images quickly and without planning or sentimentality” (“The Snapshot Aesthetic”).

Picking a visual example from photography that influenced Armstrong as a photographer is difficult. For one, he was an astronaut with a camera. Not to downplay the power and authenticity of his photographs, but he spent his career studying aeronautical engineering, not design elements and photographic genres. His photographs do blend together the visual representations of the lunar surface in a manner that mimics images found from Landsat, a satellite-based image collection module. But unlike Landsat images, which have a resolution of approximately 60 meters, Armstrong’s images give a close-up view to the moon’s surface.

The astronauts’ successful mission did not go unnoticed. Video of the first steps on the moon was shown internationally on Earth. “At Mission Control, the words ‘Task Accomplished’ and this first televised view of the crew safe on the carrier end an agony of work and suspense. Weary technicians leap from their consoles waving American flags and shouting” (“First Explorers on the Moon”). The astronauts were celebrated upon their return, and were given many awards for the mission, including the Congressional Space Medal of Honor and the Medal of Freedom. Chase Jarvis wrote a blog entry, honoring Neil Armstrong after news of his death was made public. He had this to say about the photographic astronaut: “Neil Armstrong went to the moon first as an explorer for mankind, second as a scientist and engineer – but with intention or not – he came back a famous photographer” (Jarvis).

Mr. Armstrong left NASA two years after returning from the moon. He first pursued academia, teaching Aerospace Engineering at the University of Cincinnati from 1971-1979. Later, he served as chairman of Computing Technologies for Aviation, Inc. He also helped with the investigation on the failed Challenger mission in 1986. Just before his death, Armstrong testified before Congress against cutting taxpayer’s financial support to the space program. His testimony did not alter the US Government’s plans to cut program spending.

Three of the most famous images from the lunar landing follow. Each of them are credited to Neil Armstrong/NASA.

Neil Armstrong left his footprint on the moon, literally. This image has been criticized by conspiracy theorists for being impossible because the moon’s bone-dry surface would not allow the perfect formation of the boot print. The MythBusters and a separate group of scientists in an article in the National Geographic have busted this theory (“Photos: 8 Moon-Landing Hoax Myths – Busted”).  The image is artistically beautiful, either way. The texture of the moon’s surface is juxtaposed nicely against the repeating lines in the sole of Armstrong’s boot. The shadows in the image give shape and depth to the print as well. For those who are interested, notice that the shadow of the print points to the bottom right of the photograph. At the top of the photograph, the lumps in the surface give off shadows that point to the direct left of the photograph. With the sun being the only light source at the time, this seems impossible.

The next photograph shows Buzz Aldrin emerging from the landing craft. This image is very busy with information for the viewer to take in. The warm colors of the landing craft look nice against the white and black background. The shiny, technological look of the craft really stands out against the desolate landscape Aldrin is about to experience. The space suit Aldrin wears dates the image well. He wears an oxygen tank on his back, along with other safety gear to ensure his lunar trek is successful.

Quite possibly one of the best images of the trip, this last image shows Aldrin looking at the landing gear and Armstrong. Because of the reflective nature of Aldrin’s helmet visor, we are able to see Armstrong’s reflection. As a photographer, squeezing a “selfie” in every now and then to prove your participation is necessary. Neil Armstrong was able to manually land his aircraft, take humankind’s first step on the moon, and photobomb his own photograph all in one successful lunar mission. All in all, Mr. Armstrong was one amazing man!

Works Cited

“FAQ What You Always Wanted to Know”. www.buzzaldrin.com. n.d. Web. 8 August 2014.

“First Explorers on the Moon”. www.ngm.nationalgeographic.com. National Geographic Magazine. n.d. Web. 8 August 2014.

Fox, Josh. “10 Reasons the Moon Landings Could Be a Hoax”. www.listverse.com. 28 December 2012. Web. 8 August 2014.

“Image of the Day”. www.nasa.gov. n.d. Web. 8 August 2014. http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/index.html#.U9mB44BdVFx

Jarvis, Chase. “Inspirational Photos by Neil Armstrong – Primary Photographer on the First Successful Manned Mission to the Moon”. www.blog.chasejarvis.com. 27 August 2012. Web. 8 August 2014.

MythBusters. “Episode 104: NASA Moon Landing”. www.mythbustersresults.com. 27 August 2008. Web. 8 August 2014.

“Neil Armstrong”. www.britannica.com. Encyclopædia Britannica. 30 May 2014. Web. 8 August 2014.

“Photos: 8 Moon-Landing Hoax Myths – Busted”. www.news.nationalgeographic.com. National Geographic. n.d. Web. 8 August 2014.

“Photos: Neil Armstrong – American Icon Remembered”. www.space.com. 21 August 2012, Web. 8 August 2014. http://www.space.com/17299-photos-neil-armstrong-first-moonwalker-icon.html

“Space Pictures This Week: Martian Vista, Neil Armstrong”. www.news.nationalgeographic.com. 29 August 2012, Web. 7 August 2014. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/08/pictures/120829-best-space-pictures-211-mars/#/space211-armstrong_58739_600x450.jpg

“The Snapshot Aesthetic”. www.myeclassonline.com. Photo History II: PH333, P01. The Art Institute of Pittsburgh – Online Division, n.d. Web. 8 August 2014.

“Week 2 Overview”. www.myeclassonline.com. Photo History II: PH333, P01.              The Art Institute of Pittsburgh – Online Division, n.d. Web. 7 August 2014.