When kids read adventure books, they sometimes come across these characters who are impossible. They are strong and capable, brave, smart and humble. All taken to the extreme.

I used to fantesize about being like that, but I did realize at some point I'm lucky I never needed to be.

Neil Armstrong was all those things. He wasn't the only one, all astronauts are in the same class. But he was the first one to set foot on the Moon. And in that, he was the first one to set foot on something other than Earth. And that makes him essential in one of our greatest achievements as a species. Right now we are doing a bunch of cool things, but we are very far, as a species, from the effort that put him on the Moon.

And this is probably the saddest part. He lived to see us not follow in his footsteps.