The news broke on Wednesday that Michael Collins, part of the Apollo 11 mission which saw man walk on the moon for the first time, lost his battle with cancer and passed away surrounded by his family.
Mr Collins, aged 90, stayed in lunar orbit whilst fellow astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon in 1969.
Buzz Aldrin, now the only surviving member of the Apollo 11 crew, tweeted:
“Dear Mike, Wherever you have been or will be, you will always have the Fire to Carry us deftly to new heights and to the future. We will miss you. May you Rest in Peace.”
A statement released by Mr Collin’s family, said:
“Mike always faced the challenges of life with grace and humility, and faced this, his final challenge the same way.
“We will miss him terribly. Yet we also know how lucky Mike felt to have lived the life he did.
“We will honour his wish for us to celebrate, not mourn, that life.”
