Astronauts Bid Farewell to Neil Armstrong at Memorial Service -- PICTURES

By Kenneth Chamberlain

September 13, 2012 | 4:02 p.m.

Hundreds of mourners gathered on Thursday at the National Cathedral in Washington for a service to memorialize former astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first person to step foot on the moon. Armstrong, 82, died last month following complications from cardiovascular procedures.

"He embodied all that is good and all that is great about America. Neil, wherever you are, you again have shown us a way to the stars," Eugene Cernan, the last astronaut to walk on the moon, said in a tribute during the service, according to Reuters. "As you soar through the heavens where even eagles dare not go, you can now truly put out your hand and touch the face of God."

A former Navy pilot, Armstrong will be buried at sea on Friday, Reuters reported.

Below are photos from the memorial service, followed by a video of a 1970 BBC interview in which Armstrong discussed his experiences on the moon and what he saw as the future of the American space program.

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Members of the congregation stand at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington on Thursday during the national memorial service for Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon. (AP Photo/Ann Heisenfelt)

A Bible is held up during the service. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, Pool)

Annie Glenn (third from right) stands between former astronaut Buzz Aldrin and her husband, former astronaut and Sen. John Glenn, D-Ohio. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, Pool)

Former astronaut Buzz Aldrin, who was the second person to step on the moon and was on the mission with Armstrong, wears a space tie during the service. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, Pool)

The last man on the moon, astronaut Eugene Cernan (center), sings during the service. (AP Photo/Pool, Evan Vucci, Pool)

Angus Sutherland of Kelso, Scotland, plays the bagpipe. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, Pool)

Armstrong's wife, Carol, is presented with a flag by NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, as Armstrong's son, Rick, looks on from the right. (AP Photo/Pool, Evan Vucci, Pool)

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