“First Man” and a Theremin Going to the Moon

NASA chose the astronaut Neil Armstrong to be the first man to step on the moon. Neil A. had a mysterious personality, as introspective as strong, almost like his object of conquest. Nobody knew what he was going to say when he would step out of the Eagle: “One small step for men, one giant leap for mankind”. And the world didn’t know also that Neil took with him a tape with recordings of an electronic musical instrument—the theremin (invented by a Russian, in the 1920s)—to listen to during quiet parts of the mission. So, this essay will reveal this singular secret of an astronaut, the moon and a theremin. We will also observe why this instrument was chosen by Justin Hurwitz when he composed the soundtrack of the biopic film about Neil Armstrong “First Man” (2018).