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As one of the world’s heroes of space discovery and leading space exploration advocates, Buzz continues to chart the course for future space travel and is passionate about inspiring the younger generations of future explorers and innovators.
Here are a few facts about the second man to walk on the moon you may or may not have known.
Buzz Aldrin was born in Montclair, New Jersey on 20 January 1930. His mother, Marion Moon, was the daughter of an Army Chaplain. His father, Edwin Eugene Aldrin, was a Colonel in the Air Force, a ScD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and an aviation pioneer who later became the Commanding Officer of the Newark Airport in New Jersey.
Buzz grew up in New Jersey and after graduating one year early from Montclair High School he was educated at the US Military Academy at West Point, graduating third in his class with a BS in mechanical engineering.
He then joined the Air Force where he flew F86 Sabre Jets in 66 combat missions in Korea, shot down two MIG-15′s, and was decorated with the Distinguished Flying Cross. After a tour of duty in Germany flying F100s, he went on to earn his Doctorate of Science in Astronautics at MIT and wrote his thesis on Manned Orbital Rendezvous.
Selected by NASA in 1963 into the third group of astronauts, Aldrin was the first with a doctorate and became known as "Dr. Rendezvous". The docking and rendezvous techniques he devised for spacecraft in Earth and lunar orbit became critical to the success of the Gemini and Apollo programs, and are still used today.
He also pioneered underwater training techniques, as a substitute for zero gravity flights, to simulate spacewalking. In 1966 on the Gemini 12 orbital mission, Buzz performed the world’s first successful spacewalk, overcoming prior difficulties experienced by Americans and Russians during extra-vehicular activity (EVA), and setting a new EVA record of 5½ hours.
On 20 July 1969, Buzz and Neil Armstrong made their historic Apollo 11 moonwalk, becoming the first two humans to set foot on another world. They spent 21 hours on the lunar surface and returned with 46 pounds of moon rocks. An estimated 600 million people – at that time, the world’s largest television audience in history – witnessed this unprecedented heroic endeavour.
Upon returning from the moon, Buzz was decorated with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest American peacetime award. A 45-day international goodwill tour followed, where he received numerous distinguished awards and medals from 23 other countries. Named after Buzz are Asteroid “6470 Aldrin” and the “Aldrin Crater” on the moon. Buzz and his Apollo 11 crew have four “stars” on each corner of Hollywood and Vine streets on the renowned Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Since retiring from NASA and the Air Force, Col. Aldrin has remained at the forefront of efforts to ensure America’s continued leadership in human space exploration. He devised a master plan for missions to Mars known as the “Aldrin Mars Cycler” – a spacecraft system with perpetual cycling orbits between Earth and Mars.
On 16 November, 2011, Dr Aldrin was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, the nation’s highest civilian honor, along with the other Apollo 11 crew members, Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins, and Mercury Seven astronaut, John Glenn, for their significant contribution to society and for blazing the trail of exploration.
Dr Aldrin has received three US patents for his schematics of a modular space station, Starbooster reusable rockets, and multi-crew modules for space flight. He founded Starcraft Boosters Inc, a rocket design company, and Buzz Aldrin’s ShareSpace Foundation, a non-profit devoted to addressing science literacy for children by igniting their passion for science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM) through delivering hands-on STEAM activities and inspirational messages.
Dr Aldrin is an author of eight books including his New York Times bestselling autobiography entitled, “Magnificent Desolation” which was released in 2009 just before the 40th Anniversary of the Apollo XI moon landing. He continues to inspire today’s youth with his illustrated children’s books: Reaching for the Moon, another New York Times best-seller, and Look to the Stars. He has also authored two space science-fact-fiction novels: The Return and Encounter with Tiber.
His non-fiction works include the best-seller historical documentary, Men from Earth, and an early 1970s autobiography, Return to Earth. His newest book, “Mission to Mars: My Vision for Space Exploration” was published by the National Geographic Society on 7 May 2013. It outlines his plan to get us beyond the moon and on to Mars.
From his out-of-this-world achievements to ShareSpace Foundation to the Lunar Renaissance initiative to advising NASA on the best path forward, the Buzz doesn’t stop there. A true visionary, he sees what our future in space can hold, and encourages us to reach for the stars literally by advancing our capabilities and investing in a plan for long-term space exploration. The door to the space frontier has opened. In its first 50 years, nearly 500 people have flown into space. Yet no nation has been back to the Moon or yet set foot on Mars. With strong public support, national leadership and international collaboration, we can open the door much wider.
Visit Buzz' Aldrin's website for further information on the Mars Mission.
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This article was produced at the time of publication and will not be updated.
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