Dear Neil Armstrong

JamesR. Hansen is professor emeritus of history at Auburn University in Alabama. Anexpert in aerospace history and the history of science and technology, Hansenhas published a dozen books and numerous articles covering a wide variety oftopics, including the early days of aviation, the history of aerospaceengineering, NASA, the moon landings, the Space Shuttle program, and China'srole in space. His book First Man,which is the only authorized biography of Neil Armstrong, spent three weeks asa New York Times best seller in 2005and 2018, and garnered a number of major book awards, including a nominationfor a Pulitzer Prize. Translations of FirstMan have been published in over twenty languages. A Universal Studios filmadaptation of the book hit the silver screen in October 2018, with AcademyAward winner Damien Chazelle (La La Land)directing the film and actor Ryan Gosling starring as Armstrong. Hansen servedas coproducer for the film. Over the years Hansen has served on a number ofimportant advisory boards and panels, including the Research Advisory Board forthe National Air and Space Museum, Editorial Advisory Board for the SmithsonianInstitution Press, and Advisory Board for the Archives of Aerospace Explorationat Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. He also is a past vice presidentof the Virginia Air and Space Museum in Hampton, Virginia. For the past tenyears he has served on the National Air and Space Museum Trophy SelectionBoard. His experience as an academic and public speaker has been wide-ranging bothtopically and geographically; he frequently serves as keynote speaker,panelist, and lecturer on a wide variety of topics in the history of scienceand technology.