Former Astronaut Armstrong Has Heart Surgery

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, is recovering from heart surgery days after his 82nd birthday.

Armstrong's wife, Carol, told a NASA spokesman the former astronaut was recovering Wednesday. It wasn't clear where the surgery occurred or where Armstrong was recuperating.

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden wished Armstrong a quick recovery from cardiac bypass surgery in a Facebook statement.

Armstrong commanded the Apollo 11 spacecraft that landed on the moon on July 20, 1969. He spent nearly three hours on a moonwalk with fellow astronaut Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin.

A message Wednesday on Aldrin's Twitter account also wished Armstrong well.

Armstrong has largely stayed out of public view in recent years but appeared at Ohio State University in February for an event honoring fellow astronaut John Glenn.