By Jim Scott
DNAinfo Senior Editor
MIDTOWN — Legendary astronaut Neil Armstrong took one giant step toward helping Manhattan land its own space shuttle with his visit to the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum on Sunday.
Armstrong, the first man to set foot on the moon in 1969, helped the Intrepid gather signatures for a petition to bring one of the retired space shuttles to the the museum and talked to school children during his visit, the Daily News reported.
The shuttles Discovery, Endeavor and Atlantis are scheduled to be retired in 2012. The Intrepid is one of a handful of museums, including the Smithsonian, named as a finalist to get one of the shuttles after more than 20 venues applied last year.
"Space shuttles are American icons, and shouldn't it go where it will be seen?" Museum President Bill White told the News.
