"Tranquility Base:" Original Song Honors Neil Armstrong on the Anniversary of his Death

By Nancy Atkinson - August 26, 2013 02:54 PM UTC | Space Exploration

Apollo 11 moonwalker Neil Armstrong died on Aug. 25, 2012 at age 82, and NASA has posted a video tribute with an original song "Tranquility Base" by songwriter Eric Brace. Fittingly, the video starts with a 1960's era television set showing the first Moon landing... were you watching on a TV like that on July 20, 1969 when Neil took those first steps on the Moon?

The song begins: "Tell me Neil, what you were thinking With all of us watching you on the TV Taking small steps and giant leaps and planting the flag In a place no one had been."

Our latest video — free on Patreon Swarming The Rings of Saturn With Tiny Probes, NIAC 2026 The extended edition: ad-free, with extra content. Free to watch — no account needed. ▶ Watch it free

Nancy Atkinson

Nancy Atkinson is a space journalist and author with a passion for telling the stories of people involved in space exploration and astronomy. She is currently retired from daily writing, but worked at Universe Today for 20 years as a writer and editor. She also contributed articles to The Planetary Society, Ad Astra (National Space Society), New Scientist and many other online outlets.

Her 2019 book, "Eight Years to the Moon: The History of the Apollo Missions,” shares the untold stories of engineers and scientists who worked behind the scenes to make the Apollo program so successful, despite the daunting odds against it. Her first book “Incredible Stories From Space: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Missions Changing Our View of the Cosmos” (2016) tells the stories of 37 scientists and engineers that work on several current NASA robotic missions to explore the solar system and beyond.

Nancy is also a NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador, and through this program, she has the opportunity to share her passion of space and astronomy with children and adults through presentations and programs. Nancy's personal website is nancyatkinson.com