Neil Armstrong gives rare interview - to accountant

The famously private Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, has been coaxed into giving a rare interview -- with an Australian accountant.

The 82-year-old has long been reluctant to discuss the 1969 mission that enthralled the world, and has granted only a handful of interviews since.

But the Certified Practicing Accountants of Australia convinced him to film an hour-long one-on-one in which he talks about the landing and his famous first steps on the moon.

"A month before the of , we decided we were confident enough we could try and attempt... a descent to the surface," said Armstrong in the video which appeared on the CPA website this week after the interview last year.

"I thought we had a 90 percent chance of getting back safely to Earth on that flight but only a 50-50 chance of making a landing on that first attempt."

CPA head Alex Malley said he suggested the idea to the space veteran when he was in Australia last year helping the organisation with its 125th anniversary, and he agreed.

"I know something not a lot of people know about -- his dad was an auditor," Malley told News Limited newspapers.

"The most compelling thing I felt about him was his -- his commitment to his team, his deference to everyone except himself, his respect for the -- I found that quite extraordinary."

(c) 2012 AFP

Citation: Neil Armstrong gives rare interview - to accountant (2012, May 24) retrieved 28 March 2024 from https://phys.org/news/2012-05-neil-armstrong-rare-accountant.html
This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.

Explore further

NASA prepares for moon tourism

0 shares

Feedback to editors