Letter signed by Neil Armstrong

Neil Armstrong, America's greatest hero, writes to a professor about the importance of research and knowledge.

Letter written by Neil Armstrong in response to a request from a teacher friend at a school in the United States. Letterhead with NASA logo. One page. In English. 20 cm x 26 cm. United States, undated. Good condition, although the paper is a little yellowed, with some moisture stains: the document is definitely protected with a special plastic film. Single piece.

Dear Debbie,

Thanks for the letter you sent me on behalf of your school. I thank you for the kindness of your words and I would like, this time, for you and your students, to express my wishes for success for the next semester. Knowledge is fundamental in all human achievement and for progress in general. He is the engine and goal that moves humanity forward. This quest for knowledge has taken men to the moon. But it also took a lot of knowledge already acquired to get there.

I wish that your efforts in your current or future studies bear fruit.

Yours sincerely,

Neil Armstrong

Neil Armstrong (1930 - 2012) became a national and international hero when he was the first man to walk on the Moon, as commander of the Apollo 11 mission, on July 20, 1969. His famous quote "This is one small step towards man, a giant leap for mankind" went down in history.

Neil Armstrong retired from NASA in 1970 and became a professor of aerospace engineering at the University of Cincinnati until 1979. He turned down several millionaire offers and maintained a discreet life, away from the public, until his death at the age of 82.

US President Barack Obama said of him being "one of the greatest American heroes, not just of his day, but of all time."

Documents signed by Neil Armstrong are among the most sought after by autograph collectors around the world, a trend that will expand the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the first landing in 2019. Even rarer are documents with interesting content, which makes this letter - where Armstrong talks about the importance of research and knowledge - an exceptional document.