Michael Collins, the astronaut dubbed “the loneliest man in history” for his role piloting the orbiting command module of the Moon-landing Apollo 11 mission, died on April 28 at the age of 90. The cause was cancer, according to a statement from his family.
“Today the nation lost a true pioneer and lifelong advocate for exploration in astronaut Michael Collins,” said acting NASA administrator Steve Jurczyk in a statement that saluted both Collins' exploits as a pilot and his later writings and stewardship of the Smithsonian Institute’s National Air and Space Museum. “Whether his work was behind the scenes or on full view, his legacy will always be as one of the leaders who took America's first steps into the cosmos,” said Jurzyk.
