7. Departures
This year saw the departures of two giants in American space exploration history. Sally Ride, the first American woman in space and a passionate advocate of science education, died in July. Neil Armstrong, the man who will forever be enshrined as the first to walk on the Moon and a gracious celebrity who seemed bewildered by his fame, passed away at the age of 82.
Image: Sally Ride, and Neil Armstrong (Credit: NASA)