Michael Collins, the 'forgotten' astronaut of Apollo 11, dies at 90

WASHINGTON • American astronaut Michael Collins, who as pilot of the Apollo 11 command module stayed behind on July 20, 1969, while Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin travelled to the lunar surface to become the first humans to walk on the Moon, has died at age 90, his family said.

A statement released by his family said Mr Collins died of cancer.

Often described as the "forgotten" third astronaut on the historic mission, Mr Collins remained alone in the command module for more than 21 hours until his two fellow astronauts returned in the lunar module.

He lost contact with mission control in Houston each time the spacecraft circled the dark side of the Moon. "Not since Adam has any human known such solitude as Mike Collins," the mission log said, referring to the biblical figure.

US President Joe Biden said his prayers were with the Collins family, while acting Nasa administrator Steve Jurczyk hailed Mr Collins as "a true pioneer."

Mr Aldrin paid tribute on Wednesday, tweeting: "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."

Like many of the first generation of US astronauts, Mr Collins started out as an Air Force test pilot. In 1963, he was chosen by Nasa for its astronaut programme, still in its early days but ramping up at the height of the Cold War.

His family's statement on Wednesday said they knew "how lucky Mike felt to live the life he did... Please join us in fondly and joyfully remembering his sharp wit, his quiet sense of purpose, and his wise perspective, gained both from looking back at Earth from the vantage of space and gazing across calm waters from the deck of his fishing boat".

REUTERS