Buzz Aldrin
Buzz Aldrin, born Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin on January 20, 1930, in Montclair, New Jersey, is a renowned astronaut and mechanical engineer celebrated for being the second person to walk on the moon during the historic Apollo 11 mission in 1969. After graduating third in his class from the United States Military Academy at West Point, he served in the U.S. Air Force, flying combat missions in the Korean War and earning the Distinguished Flying Cross. Aldrin's academic achievements include a Ph.D. in astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which paved the way for his selection as a NASA astronaut in 1963.
During the Apollo 11 mission, Aldrin and fellow astronaut Neil Armstrong made a significant impact on space exploration, with Aldrin famously describing the lunar landscape as "magnificent desolation." After his NASA career, he founded companies focused on rocket design and space education, authored several books, and received numerous honors, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal. Aldrin has been married four times and remains active in speaking and advocacy for space exploration. His legacy as a pioneer in space travel continues to inspire future generations.
Buzz Aldrin
Astronaut
- Born: January 20, 1930
- Place of Birth: Montclair, New Jersey
In 1969, during the Apollo 11 space mission, Buzz Aldrin became the second human to set foot on the moon's surface. An astronaut, mechanical engineer and author, Aldrin also spent twenty-one years serving in the United States Air Force and is a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Early Life & Education
Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin was born on January 20, 1930, in Montclair, New Jersey to Edwin Eugene and Marion Aldrin. His sister called him "Buzzer," a mispronunciation of the word "brother," which eventually led to his being known as "Buzz" (he legally changed his name in the 1980s).
Aldrin attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, graduating third in his class and earning a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering. He then joined the Air Force and flew F-86 Sabre jets in sixty-six combat missions during the Korean War, later earning a Distinguished Flying Cross for his service. After a tour of duty in Germany, Aldrin returned to the US and earned a PhD in astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
NASA Career
In 1963, Aldrin was selected by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to be one of the fourteen astronauts that comprised Astronaut Group Three. In 1966, he served as a pilot in the Gemini 12 mission, a manned spaceflight during which Aldrin performed a tethered spacewalk. It was during this flight that Aldrin pioneered various manned space rendezvous techniques.
The first manned mission to land on the moon, the Apollo 11, launched on July 16, 1969. Buzz Aldrin served as the pilot of the lunar module, known as the Eagle, that would, four days after takeoff, separate from the Columbia, the command module, and land on the moon's surface. Before he and fellow astronaut Neil Armstrong began their extra-vehicular activity (EVA) on the moon, Aldrin broadcast to Mission Control and requested that everyone take a moment of silence to "contemplate the events of the past few hours and to give thanks in his or her own way."
The two astronauts spent about two and a half hours on the moon before returning to the module and preparing for departure. Aldrin is known for being the second human to set foot on the lunar surface, as well as for describing the landscape's "magnificent desolation." After returning safely from the moon, both Aldrin and Armstrong were awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor.
Post-NASA Career
After retiring from NASA in 1971, Aldrin formed Starcraft Boosters, a company that designs rockets, as well as ShareSpace Foundation, a nonprofit space education program. Aldrin has also written many books, beginning with his 1973 autobiography Return to Earth. He has also written two children books and two science fiction books. In 2009, his memoir, Magnificent Desolation, was published. That same year, Aldrin and the rest of the Apollo 11 crew were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal by US President Barack Obama.
In December 2016, Aldrin was part of a tourist group visiting the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station in Antarctica. This made Aldrin, then eighty-six years old, the oldest person to visit the South Pole. During the trip, Aldrin suffered from an illness and was quickly evacuated. In 2019, Aldrin was granted the Starmus Festival's Stephen Hawking Medal for Science Communication. In 2023, Aldrin was given the honorary rank of brigadier general in the United States Air Force. He was also named an honorary Space Force guardian.
Personal Life
Aldrin married Joan Archer in 1954. The couple had three children, James, Janice and Andrew, before divorcing in 1974. In 1975, Aldrin married Beverly Zile. The couple divorced three years later. In 1988, he married Lois Driggs Cannon. On January 20, 2023, Aldrin announced that he had married his fourth wife, Anca Faur.
"Buzz Aldrin." National Space Society, nss.org/national-space-society-governor-buzz-aldrin-biography/. Accessed 3 Oct. 2024.
"Buzz Aldrin Married for the Fourth Time, Aged 93." BBC, 21 Jan. 2023, www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-64359316. Accessed 3 Oct. 2024.
Munoz, Anabel. "Buzz Aldrin Named Air Force Brigadier General in Honor of Contributions to Space Program." ABC, 9 May 2023, abc7.com/buzz-aldrin-astronauts-brigadier-general-nasa/13216556/. Accessed 3 Oct. 2024.