Who was the third astronaut on Apollo 11 alongside Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin?

Who was the third astronaut on Apollo 11 alongside Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin?
Photo by NASA / Unsplash

The whole concept of going to the moon, especially back in 1969, sounds like a bad time. You need to strap yourself into a giant rocket, blast off at speeds that almost squish your brain inside your skull, then pray nothing explodes or there’s not even a crack half the size of a hair anywhere on the ship or you’re all toast.

And that’s all to get to the moon and see basically nothing. I could get more or less the same experience with a telescope and not have to risk exploding. 

We do have to commend Neil and Buzz for taking those first steps on the moon, but they weren’t the only two on the mission. There was actually a third astronaut who piloted the ship that no one really talks about. 

He may have never actually set foot on the moon, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve any credit. Who was that third astronaut?

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