in a statement on Twitter, saying he passed "after a valiant battle with cancer.""He spent his final days resting peacefully, with family by his side," the statement said. "Mike always faced the challenges of life with grace and humility, and faced this, his final challenge, in the same way."Collins was part of the three-member crew on Apollo 11, the first lunar landing mission in 1969, alongside Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin.Collins served as command module pilot and was "The Forgotten Man" during the mission.
He remained in lunar orbit, tending to the mother ship Columbia, while Armstrong and Aldrin landed in the Eagle on July 20, 1969, and spent 2 ½ hours walking the surface of the moon.Advertisement"Apollo 11 ...