In the cramped quarters of the Lunar Module, astronauts would not have much space to argue over who got out first. But that didn’t stop journalists and Apollo fans from debating whether commander Neil Armstrong would pull rank on lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin or whether NASA would make the decision for the astronauts.

Apollo Spacecraft Program Office manager George M. Low wrote a rather vague letter in response to press inquiries on 27 June 1969:

“Some time during the middle of the night, I had a call from Associated Press informing me that they had a story that Neil Armstrong had pulled rank on Buzz Aldrin to be the first man on the surface of the moon. They wanted to know whether it was true and how the decision was reached concerning who would get out of the LM first.

To the best of my recollection, I gave the following information:

a. There had been many informal plans developed during the past several years concerning the lunar timeline. These probably included all combinations of one man out versus two men out, who gets out first, etc.

There was only one approved plan and that was established 2 to 4 weeks prior to our public announcement of this planning. I believe that this was in April 1969.c. The basic decision was made by my Configuration Control Board. It was based on a recommendation by the Flight Crew Operations Directorate. I am sure that Armstrong had made an input to this recommendation, but he, by no means, had the final say. The CCB decision was final."

Andrew Chaikin wrote in his book A Man on the Moon that the location of the hatch and the astronauts after they put on their bulky spacesuits might have factored in the decision to let Armstrong out first, though it is hard to imagine Armstrong giving up the chance to go first.

In the cramped quarters of the Lunar Module, astronauts would not have much space to argue over who got out first. But that didn’t stop journalists and Apollo fans from debating whether commander Neil Armstrong would pull rank on lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin or whether NASA would make the decision for the astronauts.

Apollo Spacecraft Program Office manager George M. Low wrote a rather vague letter in response to press inquiries on 27 June 1969:

“Some time during the middle of the night, I had a call from Associated Press informing me that they had a story that Neil Armstrong had pulled rank on Buzz Aldrin to be the first man on the surface of the moon. They wanted to know whether it was true and how the decision was reached concerning who would get out of the LM first.

To the best of my recollection, I gave the following information:

a. There had been many informal plans developed during the past several years concerning the lunar timeline. These probably included all combinations of one man out versus two men out, who gets out first, etc.

There was only one approved plan and that was established 2 to 4 weeks prior to our public announcement of this planning. I believe that this was in April 1969.c. The basic decision was made by my Configuration Control Board. It was based on a recommendation by the Flight Crew Operations Directorate. I am sure that Armstrong had made an input to this recommendation, but he, by no means, had the final say. The CCB decision was final."

Andrew Chaikin wrote in his book A Man on the Moon that the location of the hatch and the astronauts after they put on their bulky spacesuits might have factored in the decision to let Armstrong out first, though it is hard to imagine Armstrong giving up the chance to go first.