Neil Armstrong's Ashes Scattered At Sea

The cremated remains of Neil Armstrong have been scattered at sea during a final tribute to the first man to set foot on the moon.

US Navy personnel carried the ashes of the legendary American astronaut aboard a US aircraft carrier to the Atlantic Ocean the day after a sombre memorial ceremony was held at the National Cathedral in Washington.

The famously reserved Apollo 11 commander died on August 25 at the age of 82.

Armstrong's widow Carol was presented an American flag at the ceremony aboard the USS Philippine Sea that included a bugler and rifle salute.

Mourners who filled the vast cathedral in Washington a day earlier heard him eulogised as a dedicated team player who shunned the limelight for decades after piloting the 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing.

"Neil will always be remembered for taking humankind's first small step on another world," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said at the service.

"But it was the courage, grace and humility he displayed throughout his life that lifted him above the stars."

Armstrong's Apollo 11 crew mates Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin, Eugene Cernan - the Apollo 17 mission commander and last man to walk on the moon - attended the memorial service.

Also present Thursday was John Glenn, the former US senator and first American to orbit the Earth.

Armstrong came to be known around the world for the immortal words he uttered on July 20, 1969 as he became the first person ever to step onto the Earth's moon.

"That's one small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind," he famously said.