This is indeed a sad day as we have lost one of the world's great explorers.
Correction, we've lost one of the greatest explorers of our **planetary system**, (the Solar system, named after our star, Sol), he cannot be called simply one of the world's greatest explorers, it doesn't say enough about him or his comrades. How many people in the history of the world have been where he went? A dozen or so? He was the elite of the elite of the elite, and hopefully there will be others that get the opportunity to follow in his rocket-trail! (They wouldn't get far enough by following in his footsteps!) Unfortunately, younger generations don't seem to be inspired by him quite the same way, or at least not in the same numbers, as kids in the 1960's & 1970's did. I wholeheartedly agree with the need for tough decisions. Choosing not to explore space, and learn how to "get there" dooms the human race to die with this planet in a few billion years. (if we don't die off sooner for reasons other than the sun expanding into a red giant.) Explorers of his calibre will be needed to get humankind to places where we can continue expanding our knowledge of the universe, and more importantly, simply continue being. R.I.P. Neil Armstrong!
IF I HAD A MINE SHAFT, I don't think I would just abandon it. There's got to be a better way. -- Jack Handley, The New Mexican, 1988.