Obama Honors First Men to Land on Moon

WASHINGTON (AP)  -- Hailing the Apollo 11 astronauts as "three American heroes,'' President Barack Obama says exploration spurs ingenuity and inspires students in math and science.


Mona Rivera reports from the Cradle of Aviation

Photo Gallery: Astronauts Mark Anniversary of Moon Landing
VIDEO: Obama Honors First Men to Land on Moon

Obama commemorated the day 40 years ago when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin took man's first steps on the moon.

The president compared the astronauts' accomplishment to one of his own goals: America having the highest high school graduation rates in the world by 2020.

NASA Video: Apollo 11 Moon Landing
Web Extra: Interactive Look at Moon Landing
VIDEO: First Person: Buzz Aldrin Discusses Moon Landing

Obama says that Armstrong, Aldrin and command module pilot Michael Collins were the touchstone for excellence in exploration that inspired the scientists of today.

Astronauts attending the ceremony at the White House, including others from Apollo missions, made a pitch for a mission to Mars.

On the Net:

Aldrin's plans for Mars exploration: http://buzzaldrin.com/

National Air and Space Museum: http://www.nasm.si.edu/

NASA's Apollo anniversary site

NASA interactive site showing Apollo high points by state:

http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/ApolloNearYou/index.html

NASA video of Apollo 11 landing on the moon: http://history.nasa.gov/alsj/a11/A11Landing.mov