Collins, The Happy Lonely Man

It is hard to lose our heroes. This week, we bid farewell to Collins. He leaves behind a legacy that will inspire future space explorers to 'carry the fire.' He died Wednesday at age 90 after battling cancer. Collins was often referred to as the 'loneliest man' because he remained behind in the Columbia command module, orbiting the moon while Armstrong and Aldrin used the Eagle lander to land and walk on the lunar surface. But Collins never felt that way. He referred to Columbia as a 'happy home' that reminded him of a cathedral and the entire mission as a 'long and very fragile daisy chain.' Every link in that daisy chain worked. The three men made history that still inspires the spirit of space exploration more than 50 years later. (Graphic: Refrence to the CNN report defying gravity, Wonder Theory)