Astronauts past and present - Editor's Choice - Pictures of the Day - August 25, 2012

On the occasion of Neil Armstrong's passing, today's photos are a nod to astronauts past and present — and all the wonder and amazement they inspire.

This July 24, 1969, photo provided by the Richard Nixon Foundation shows Apollo XI astronauts, from left, Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin laughing with President Richard Nixon aboard the USS Hornet. The president was on hand to greet the astronauts after their splashdown in the Pacific. Armstrong, who was famous for being the first man on the moon, died Saturday Aug. 25, 2012. (AP Photo/Richard Nixon Foundation)

Russian cosmonaut (no name given) takes a photo during a mission in open space outside the International Space Station in this handout picture released August 24, 2012. Russian cosmonauts Gennady Padalka and Yuri Malenchenko conducted a 5 hour 50 minute-long mission in open space on August 20, 2012.  (Reuters/Roscosmos/Handout)