The Third Man

Michael Collins
October 31, 1930 – April 28, 2021

 I hesitate to say that its time to relate the passing of astronaut Mike Collins at 90. Is it a sad occasion when a person reaches the end of their mortal span, having achieved so much and seen the face of heaven itself ?

Collins was always the 'third man', seemingly taking the back seat to the heroic (but terse) Armstrong and the exuberant Aldrin. Travelling all the way to the moon, but never able to reach the surface, Collins was pivotal in holding the rope for his colleagues as they descended into potential oblivion and then having to endure 24 hours as the most lonely man in history, totally and utterly alone in the cramped capsule as the Command Module circled the lunar farside.

Any double page spread will always feature Collins at the centre, invariably stapled in place by the fold. A quiet unassuming man, he will always be the perfect exemplar of astronautics for many decades to come.

Godspeed.