Armstrong, 1st to walk on moon, has heart surgery

Wednesday August 8, 2012 7:15 PM

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, is recovering from heart surgery days after his 82nd birthday.

A NASA spokesman talked to Armstrong's wife, Carol, and said the former astronaut was recovering Wednesday. It wasn't clear where the surgery occurred or where Armstrong was recuperating.

A Facebook statement from NASA Administrator Charles Bolden wished Armstrong a quick recovery from cardiac bypass surgery.

Armstrong commanded the Apollo 11 spacecraft that landed on the moon on July 20, 1969. He spent nearly three hours on a moonwalk with fellow astronaut Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin.

A message Wednesday on Aldrin's Twitter account also wished Armstrong well.

Armstrong has largely stayed out of public view in recent years but appeared at Ohio State University in February for an event honoring fellow astronaut John Glenn.

©2013 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Currently in Columbus
54°
Clear

Today

Full schedule
8:00
Undercover Boss
9:00
Blue Bloods
10:00
Blue Bloods
11:00
10TV News @ 11PM
11:20
Wall to Wall Sports Extra
11:30
10TV News @ 11PM
11:35
Late Show with David Letterman