Neil Armstrong was an astronaut.
The Command/Service Module ( CSM ) was one of two spacecraft , along with the Lunar Module , used for the United States Apollo program which landed astronauts on the Moon . The Congressional Space Medal of Honor was authorized by the United States Congress in 1969 to recognize `` any astronaut who in the performance of his duties has distinguished himself by exceptionally meritorious efforts and contributions to the welfare of the Nation and mankind . '' Neil Armstrong . Before becoming an astronaut , Armstrong was an officer in the U.S. Navy and served in the Korean War . He made his first space flight as command pilot of Gemini 8 in March 1966 , becoming NASA 's first civilian astronaut to fly in space .