UC remembers Armstrong's impact with Next Giant Leap celebration

Astronaut Neil Armstrong took iconic photos of the moon when he set foot on its surface 50 years ago during Apollo 11.

But it was an earthbound Armstrong that caught the attention of University of Cincinnati student Ralph Spitzen when he photographed the UC professor lost in an introspective moment during an exercise on flight dynamics.

After walking on the moon, Armstrong left NASA in 1971 to teach aerospace engineering in UC’s College of Engineering and Applied Science. UC will celebrate his historic accomplishment starting Thursday with three days of events called the Next Giant Leap.

The Next Giant Leap celebration begins with a pre-game tailgate party from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday on the Grid at Sigma Sigma Commons before the Bearcats take on UCLA.

At 9 a.m. Friday, the college will host a formal dedication of two new labs on flight simulation and control and autonomous systems in rooms 789 and 401 respectively in Rhodes Hall.

The public is welcome to tour the new labs, including UC professor Ou Ma’s robotics lab. Ma worked on the robotic arms aboard the former space shuttle and the International Space Station. Indeed, his signature is floating in space aboard the space station after he signed some of the parts he designed.

UC will host a panel discussion from 2 to 4 p.m. Friday on “Human Space Exploration – from Apollo to Mars” in Room 400 of Tangeman University Center. The panelists include computer engineering Don Eyles, who worked on software for the Apollo lunar lander, and John McCullough, director of NASA’s exploration integration and science directorate at the Johnson Space Center.

UC will host a student research showcase and cocktail reception from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Friday in Tangeman University Center’s Great Hall. Authors and panelists Don Eyles and keynote speaker Jim Hansen will be available to sign their books.

A dinner and keynote address will follow Friday from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in Tangeman’s Great Hall. Jim Hansen, author of “First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong,” will discuss his biography.

On Saturday beginning at 10 a.m., MainStreet Cinema in Tangeman University Center will offer screenings of two new documentaries about Armstrong.

“The Armstrong Tapes” is an hour-long documentary that examines his life through the people who knew him best.

“Armstrong” tells the personal story of the astronaut using never-before-seen home video with his children. Narrated by Harrison Ford, the documentary chronicles Armstrong’s service in the Korean War, his early days as a test pilot and his time in space during the Gemini 8 and Apollo 11 missions.

“Armstrong” producer Gareth Dodds said the film offers a rare look into the private life of an astronaut who preferred to stay out of the limelight. Dodds said Armstrong has always been an enigma, despite being a household name.

“We have some Super 8 footage he took of his kids and family life,” Dodds said. “It’s footage that hasn’t been seen outside his family.”

In working on the documentary, Dodds said he was struck by Armstrong’s professionalism and expertise.

“In every step of his career through Apollo 11, he excelled at what he did. He was a good pilot. But he stood out as an engineer,” Dodds said.

Generations after Armstrong’s famous one small step, few technological achievements can match the excitement and inspiration of Apollo 11, Dodds said.

“It’s still held up as a singular achievement,” he said.

UC aerospace engineering professor Mark Turner is preparing students to reach for the next milestone in space. Some of his students have gone on to work for SpaceX and other aerospace companies.

Turner said the space program is responsible for much of the technology we take for granted today.

“We open our phones and use GPS every day,” he said. “We have satellites broadcasting TV images.”

Now the next big frontier seems to be Mars. Turner said it’s almost inevitable that people some day will tread on the red planet. Every year he asks his students if they would be willing to go to Mars. And every year some of them raise their hands.

“This idea of exploration is still inspiring a lot of people. It’s built into our genetics,” Turner said. “That’s what’s exciting.”

Featured image at top: Apollo 11 captured the Earth rising over the moon. Photo/NASA

More UC News coverage of Neil Armstrong

Armstrong Collection: UC's Engineering Library assembled a tribute to the astronaut.

News Obituary: The professor left quite a mark on the university community.

Averting Catastrophe: His brushes with danger extended to campus parking.

No Cheese: The professor pens a poem for children about his remarkable "summer vacation." 

Commencement Address: UC awarded the famous pilot an honorary degree in 1982. Read his commencement address to graduates.

Unheralded UC alum helped NASA reach moon: UC physics graduate George Sherard Jr. was one of the many African American technical experts who contributed to the space race.