Before His Death, Apollo 11’s ‘Third Astronaut’ Michael Collins FINALLY Admitted It

Imagine being completely alone, orbiting the Moon, cut off from Earth, surrounded by the silent void of space. Michael Collins, Apollo 11’s often-overlooked astronaut, lived this experience. But what if, during those isolated moments, he saw something NASA never wanted the world to know?

A Life of Aviation and Exploration

Born in 1930 to a military family, Collins was drawn to aviation from an early age. He graduated from West Point in 1952, became a skilled Air Force pilot, and later joined NASA’s third group of astronauts in 1963. His first spaceflight, Gemini 10, made him the first astronaut to conduct two spacewalks in a single mission.

Apollo 11: The Lonely Orbit

Originally set for Apollo 8, Collins was reassigned to Apollo 11 after recovering from surgery. While Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the Moon, Collins piloted the Command Module Columbia, orbiting alone for hours. Each time he passed behind the Moon, he was in complete radio silence—a situation NASA knew could be psychologically intense.

The Shocking Revelation

Collins’ role was critical, but what did he see during his time in isolation? For years, he remained silent. However, before his death, he finally revealed a chilling truth—something that had haunted him for decades, something NASA never wanted the world to hear.