Diksha Sundriyal
In 2018’s ‘First Man,’ we follow the journey of Neil Armstrong as he prepares for his mission to the Moon where he creates history by becoming the first man to set foot on it. The training process is as grueling as it can be and prepares him and his fellow astronauts for all possibilities. It takes a lot of physical and mental preparation to get through it, but it also takes a toll on his personal life. He finds himself distant from his family, which forms the emotional core of the story. Armstrong had two sons with whom he had “the talk” before he was to leave for the mission, which is also featured in the movie. With a father who had his name jotted down in history, it is difficult to live up to that legacy. However, Rick and Mark Armstrong have carved a unique path for themselves.
Rick Armstrong is the Part of a Progressive Rock Band
Born on June 30, 1957, in Lancaster, California, Eric “Rick” Armstrong is a retired marine biologist who switched to consultancy later in his career. He is an alumnus of Wittenberg University, where he got a BA in Biology. He pursued his further education in marine biology, later working as a marine mammal trainer for several years. Following this, he worked at the Naval Ocean Systems Center Hawaii Lab, but in 1988, he moved to Ohio to work with a software development startup. He stayed with them till 1994, after which he created his own business as a software developer, database developer, and consultant.
Now in his late 60s, Rick has focused himself more on other pursuits. He serves on the board of directors for NASA’s Astronaut Scholarship Foundation, which funds about 60 students each year to further their careers in space exploration. Over the years, he has also participated in projects about his father’s life work. He appeared as himself in several documentaries and docuseries like ‘Mars 1001,’ ‘Armstrong’ and ‘Nova.’ He also served as a producer for the 2022 film ‘Mother Sky.’
Apart from this, Rick has also carved a career for himself in music. Since 2011, he has been the guitarist, bassist, and keyboardist for a progressive rock band named Edison’s Children, with whom he has four albums under his belt. He also went solo and released three albums: Infinite Corridors, Spatial Elements, and Chromosphere. He has also performed with Marillion & The Steve Rothery Band. Rick was married to Karen Armstrong, with whom he has three children. The couple is now divorced. When he is not busy with his other endeavors, he likes spending time with his family and playing golf.
Mark Armstrong is a Retired Software Engineer
Born on April 8, 1963, in Harris County, Texas, Mark Armstrong is the youngest child of Neil and Janet Armstrong. While he had an interest in becoming an astronaut like his father, he found himself drawn towards something else. He graduated from Stanford University with a bachelor’s in physics. He also studies computer software and engineering, along with philosophy. After college, he took a job as a software writer consultant for Macintosh but later moved on to work for other companies like Symantec Corporation, WebTV Networks, Microsoft, and Scenario Learning, with whom he was involved in differing administrative and executive roles.
Prior to this, he served as the Vice President of Engineering at Pharos Technologies, Inc. He also dabbled in property management, becoming the co-owner of New Leaf Properties in 2009. At present, he works as a corporate advisor for several organizations. In 2012, he joined the Board of Trustees at The Museum of Flight. In 2020, Mark was appointed to the Strategic Advisory Board by Bye Aerospace. In his personal time, Mark likes to spend time with his family. He is married to Wendy, a lawyer, with whom he has three children. They live in Cincinnati, Ohio. Like his brother, Mark also has an interest in music.
He wrote a ballad (performed by his daughter, Kali) called “Flight of Fancy” about his father’s journey to the Moon. He appeared as himself in the documentary about his father, ‘Armstrong,’ and was also in a small role in 2024’s ‘Fly Me to the Moon.’ While he didn’t follow in his father’s footsteps, he is “intrigued by the idea of space exploration” and wishes that in the future, someday, he will receive an opportunity that allows him to go to space. He also wishes to take his family with them, stating that if there is a chance to set up an installation or colony on the Moon, he would like to be a part of it with his wife and kids.
The Brothers Have Honored Their Father’s Legacy
While Neil Armstrong was known to be a private person who rarely made public appearances and gave interviews, Rick and Mark had spent years talking about their father and sharing his story with the world. In April 2024, they led a panel discussion at the Indiana Motor Speedway to talk about their father’s legacy in space exploration. In 2022, they visited the Johnnie Amstrong Gallery and Borderlands Museum at Teviothead near Hawick in Scotland to recreate the trip their father took years ago to understand and pay tribute to his family’s origins.
In 2018, Eric and Mark decided to auction about 3000 mementos related to their father’s career in NASA, especially the Apollo 11 mission and his other personal things. These included but were not limited to a flight suit he had worn for a mission, the American flag that went to space with him (sold for $275,000), and things like his childhood teddy bear and a gold medal (which sold for $2.04 million). The auctions took place over several phases in 2019. Reportedly, Mark and his wife had planned to use the money from the auction to create Vantage Earth, an environmental non-profit.
The brothers also revealed that they had previously donated several artifacts worth $1.4 million to museums in addition to more than $500,000 in cash donations. Prior to this, the brothers had received $2.6 million from a $6 million settlement with Mercy Health-Fairfield Hospital, which arose due to complications in their father’s health, which led to his death at the age of 82. The Armstrong brothers were heavily involved in the making of ‘First Man.’ They read the initial drafts of the movie and gave their input about the personal details of the Armstrong family, which couldn’t have come from anywhere else.
They also gave Ryan Gosling a treasure trove of information to help him in his portrayal of their father, which they found to be very realistic. Not just this, the brothers also cameoed in the movie. They played the roles of the flight controllers in the mission control room. Mark appears as Paul Haney, the man who turns off the broadcasting in the middle of the Gemini 8 mission when things get tricky for Neil Armstrong. His son plays the role of the flight controller who plays the guitar when things go well with the mission. The brothers continue to be involved with future projects exploring their father’s life and are intent on telling his story to the world as authentically as possible.
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