VP Pence leads standing ovation at KSC to honor Buzz Aldrin, other Apollo 11 astronauts
On the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, Vice President Michael Pence visited the Kennedy Space Center to mark the historic occasion.
Pence was joined by the second man to walk on the moon, Buzz Aldrin, as well as Neil Armstrong's son Rick Armstrong.
"The men of Apollo 11 did more than help expand our understanding of creation," Pence said. "They did more than win the space race. They brought together our nation. And for one brief moment, all the people of the world were truly one."
Apollo 11 anniversary coverage: floridatoday.com/moonlanding
"True to their creed, astronauts have never liked the idea of being called heroes. Yet for all they did, for all the risks they took, if Neil Armstrong, Mike Collins and Buzz Aldrin are not heroes, there are no heroes. We honor these men today. And America will always honor our Apollo astronauts."
Live coverage:VP Mike Pence visits Kennedy Space Center for Apollo anniversary
With that, the vice president led a standing ovation, which brought Aldrin to his feet. Aldrin then saluted and acknowledged the crowd, but he did not speak at the event.
Flanked by the Orion capsule, Pence again declared that the U.S. is committed to returning Americans to the moon in five years and announced a major milestone to achieve that effort.
"Today, thanks to the hard work of the men and women of NASA and of American industry, the Orion crew vehicle for the Artemis One Mission is complete and ready to begin preparations for its historic flight," Pence said.
The Artemis One Mission will be an uncrewed test flight of the Orion crew vehicle to be launched on the first flight of NASA's heavy rocket, Space Launch System, as part of NASA's ambitious plan to send humans back to the moon and onto Mars.
Pence assured the crowd that funding won't be an issue in achieving that goal.
"We've made great strides in advancing the president's bold vision for space," Pence said. "Unlike in years past, we will have the budgets to match it."
President Trump already has signed into the law the "largest NASA budget ever," he added.
The vice president praised the achievements of the astronauts and the 400,000 workers who supported the Apollo 11 mission and closed with a look toward the future:
"Today, we resolve for the sake of all they accomplished that America will lead in space once again. And this nation will once again astonish the world with the heights we reach and the wonders we achieve."
Contact Rachael Joy at 321-242-3577 or email rjoy@floridatoday.com. Follow her on Twitter @Rachael_Joy.
More:From secretaries to engineers, hundreds of thousands made Apollo 11 possible