45 years ago today, the U.S. successfully landed the first two living, breathing people on the moon’s surface. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, the first two men to walk on the lunar surface, respectively, are widely regarded as American heroes. Not to be forgotten, Michael Collins was the third player in the mission, and piloted the spacecraft carrying the two moonwalkers. President Obama invited Armstrong’s widow Carol (Armstrong died in 2012), Aldrin and Collins to the White House today to honor their achievement. Now, some press outlets are feeling miffed that the Obama administration excluded reporters and TV cameras from the event.

When asked about the secrecy that seemed to have no reason or explanation, White House spokesman Josh Earnest dismissed it as a “scheduling matter.” CBS News White House correspondent Major Garrett went so far as to file a complaint about the lack of press access, noting that the heroic NASA mission was still financed by Americans and their tax dollars.

“These are legitimate American heroes,” Earnest replied. “On that you and I can agree.”

Apollo 11 began in 1961, when President John F. Kennedy issued a challenge to NASA to become the worldwide leader in space exploration. He reiterated that desire in his now-famous 1962 speech at Rice University, in Texas: “We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win.”

It would take seven more years that he unfortunately wouldn’t live to see, but on July 23rd 1969, NASA and the U.S. realized Kennedy’s vision.

“Today, I was honored to welcome Buzz, Michael, and Neil’s wife, Carol, to the White House to mark this historic anniversary – and to thank them for serving as advocates, role models, and educators who’ve inspired generations of Americans – myself included – to dream bigger and reach higher,” President Obama said in a statement.