This photo contains every single human, alive or dead, in existence except for one man, Michael Collins (who took the photo) (It’s also brewer Jason’s wallpaper on his phone)

Michael Collins was the pilot of the Apollo 11 command module, Columbia. This meant when Neil and Buzz were on the moon, Collins remained in the command module relaying messages and performing other tasks.



During the 22 hours Armstrong and Aldrin spent on the moon, Collins orbited the Moon alone in the command module. This meant that he passed over the dark side of the Moon several times. The entire body of the Moon stood between the Earth and Collins in the command module for 47 minutes each orbit. Therefore, he was unable to communicate neither with the Apollo 11 Mission Control back on Earth, nor with the other two astronauts who were on the surface. Unable to communicate created a unique sense of loneliness.



In a statement to the public, NASA said “Not since Adam has any human known such solitude as Mike Collins is experiencing during this 47 minutes of each lunar revolution when he’s behind the Moon with no one to talk to except his tape recorder aboard Columbia.”

Upon his return to Earth, Collins said: “I don’t mean to deny a feeling of solitude. It is there, reinforced by the fact that radio contact with the Earth abruptly cuts off at the instant I disappear behind the moon, I am alone now, truly alone, and absolutely isolated from any known life. I am it. If a count were taken, the score would be three billion plus two over on the other side of the moon, and one plus God knows what on this side.”

In 2009, which marked the 40th anniversary of the Moon Landing, Collins admitted that his biggest fear during the entire mission arose from a different concern: he was afraid that something might go wrong with the lunar module and that Aldrin and Armstrong might perish on the surface of the Moon or during their ascent back to Columbia.

“My secret terror for the last six months has been leaving them on the Moon and returning to Earth alone; now I am within minutes of finding out the truth of the matter,” he wrote.

“If they fail to rise from the surface, or crash back into it, I am not going to commit suicide; I am coming home, forthwith, but I will be a marked man for life and I know it.”

All three returned safely to Earth on July 24th, 1969.