# Why did Armstrong land Apollo 11 instead of Aldrin? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 26, 2016, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-armstrong-land-apollo-11-instead-of-aldrin/750277 "2016-03-26T21:01:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2016, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-armstrong-land-apollo-11-instead-of-aldrin/750277/21 "2016-03-28T14:22:07Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Wait, wasn’t Aldrin _the_ expert on module-to-module rendezvous docking? Rendezvous and docking are not synonymous. Aldrin did his Ph.D on orbital rendezvous, and was known to talk about the subject endlessly. IIRC during his Gemini mission when their computer malfunctioned he got out paper charts and made the calculations himself. But docking is the actual joining of the the two spacecraft that were brought into the same orbit via rendezvous. Armstrong performed the first docking during his Gemini mission, although things went awry shortly after (not his fault, and he pretty much saved them, but that’s another story). As for the LMP actually flying the LM, that happened once. On Apollo 12 the commander, Pete Conrad, invited Al Bean the LMP to fly it while they were behind the moon and out of radio contact. This was not part of the plan, and according to Bean a delightful experience only made possible by Conrad’s indulgence. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2016, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-armstrong-land-apollo-11-instead-of-aldrin/750277/22 "2016-03-28T15:30:45Z")
FTR, Wiki cites–and I seem to recall either entering this myself or taking part in the discussion in the Aldrin entry–Andrew Chaiken _A Man on the Moon_ (Penguin, 1998) as presenting evidence of the decision making of NASA on this topic. ---
**Author:** ![joema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9adbd/32.png) [@joema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joema)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2016, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-armstrong-land-apollo-11-instead-of-aldrin/750277/23 "2016-03-28T15:53:57Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Wait, wasn’t Aldrin _the_ expert on module-to-module rendezvous docking? Aldrin’s PhD thesis was about space rendezvous methods and he was an expert. However this level of academic knowledge was not required for the mission. The LM was the first digital fly-by-wire aerospace vehicle, and had completely redundant navigation and guidance computers. Unlike most fly-by-wire airliners it also had a completely manual reversion mode including a non-computerized analog pathway from the hand controller to separate redundant solenoid propellent actuators on each RCS thruster. Activating this required only a full deflection “hard over” on the hand controller to trigger the alternate path. There was a practiced contingency procedure to ascend from the lunar surface and achieve orbit using no computers and no inertial platform whatsoever. It involved using charts, a stopwatch and making stepped pitch changes to align window etchings with the lunar horizon. Astronaut Gene Cernan said he achieved this in the simulator and felt it was possible. In this contingency the Command/Service module would take the lead in rendezvous after the LM achieved orbit. All Lunar Module Pilots were fully qualified to fly the vehicle. In his autobiography Apollo 17 commander Cernan said his LMP Harrison Schmitt was more proficient on the Abort Guidance System (AGS) than he himself was. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2016, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-armstrong-land-apollo-11-instead-of-aldrin/750277/24 "2016-03-28T17:26:55Z")
> [@Llama\_Llogophile](#): > > Rendezvous and docking are not synonymous. That’s what she said. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2016, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-armstrong-land-apollo-11-instead-of-aldrin/750277/25 "2016-03-28T23:46:50Z")
🙂 ---
**Author:** ![USCDiver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uscdiver/32/354_2.png) [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2016, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-armstrong-land-apollo-11-instead-of-aldrin/750277/26 "2016-03-29T00:53:36Z")
> [@Nars\_Glinley](#): > > No. Not a joke. I had no idea that the scheduled time spent in the LM was so short. I guess I’ve seen Apollo 13 too many times. In the Apollo 13 mission the LM never separated or landed on the Moon, so that isn’t really a good comparison! ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2016, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-armstrong-land-apollo-11-instead-of-aldrin/750277/27 "2016-03-30T02:15:22Z")
> [@Hail\_Ants](#): > > I think Armstrong’s performance during the near-disaster of Gemini 3 was at least 51% of the reason he was chosen. Everything else, his soft-spoken demeanor, his dislike of the spotlight, and his boyish, all-American good looks was just icing on the cake… Did you mean Gemini 8?: [Gemini 8 - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gemini_8) Armstrong’s cool handling of, and impeccable timing during, the May 1968 “Flying Bedstead” crash also impressed NASA - see the third paragraph here: [Neil Armstrong - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Armstrong#Apollo_program) Plus he was an Ohioan… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-armstrong-land-apollo-11-instead-of-aldrin/750277.md?page=1)