Buzz Aldrin

Buzz Aldrin is a retired U.S. Air Force colonel and former NASA NASAThe National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is the U.S. federal agency responsible for the civilian space program, aeronautics research and space science. Established by law in 1958 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., it has run programs including Mercury, the Apollo Moon landings, the Space Shuttle, the International Space Station and Artemis.Open the full entry astronaut who performed three extravehicular activities on Gemini XII in 1966 and, as Apollo 11 lunar module pilot in 1969, became the second person to walk on the Moon.

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Key facts

January 20, 1930Born in Montclair, New Jersey

Aldrin was born Edwin E. Aldrin Jr.; his father, Edwin Eugene Aldrin, had been a student of rocket pioneer Robert Goddard. The nickname “Buzz” came from his younger sister, who called him “buzzer” instead of “brother”; he later legally changed his name to Buzz.⁠[1]

1951Graduates from West Point

Aldrin graduated third in his class from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1951 with a Bachelor of Science degree.⁠[2]

1950sCombat Missions in Korea

As a U.S. Air Force pilot, he flew 66 combat missions in F-86s in Korea and shot down two MiG-15s.⁠[2]

1963Doctor of Science from MIT

In 1963, Aldrin received a Doctor of Science degree from MIT’s Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics with the thesis Line-of-sight guidance techniques for manned orbital rendezvous.⁠[3]

October 18, 1963Selected in NASA’s Third Astronaut Group

On October 18, 1963, NASA announced its third group of 14 astronauts; Aldrin was one of its seven Air Force members, and his doctoral work on orbital rendezvous earned him the nickname “Dr. Rendezvous.” He later served as backup pilot for Gemini IX and backup command module pilot for Apollo 8.⁠[4]

November 11–15, 1966Gemini XII

From November 11 to 15, 1966, Aldrin flew Gemini XII as pilot with command pilot James A. Lovell Jr.; it was the tenth and final crewed flight of the Gemini program. Aldrin performed three extravehicular activities: a 2-hour-29-minute standup EVA on November 12, a 2-hour-6-minute spacewalk on November 13 and a 55-minute standup EVA on November 14.⁠[5]

In September 1966, Aldrin became the first astronaut to use neutral buoyancy in a swimming pool to train for spacewalks. During the mission he tested foot restraints known as “golden slippers” at the adapter section, and his three EVAs totaled a then-record five hours and 48 minutes; he attributed his success to neutral buoyancy training and adequate restraint systems.⁠[6]

July 1969Apollo 11 Moon Landing

On July 16, 1969, Aldrin launched aboard Apollo 11 as lunar module pilot with Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins; the mission splashed down on July 24.⁠[7]

On July 20, the lunar module Eagle landed at 4:17 p.m. EDT; Armstrong began his descent at 10:56 p.m., Aldrin joined him shortly afterwards and described the surface as “magnificent desolation.” The two explored the surface for about two and a half hours, leaving behind an American flag, a patch honoring the fallen Apollo 1 crew and a plaque on one of Eagle’s legs.⁠[8]

August 13, 1969Presidential Medal of Freedom

On August 13, 1969, at a dinner in Los Angeles honoring the Apollo 11 astronauts, President Richard Nixon presented the three with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Aldrin said the honor “goes not just to us as a crew but to countless thousands of others.”⁠[9]

His other awards include the Robert J. Collier Trophy, the Robert H. Goddard Memorial Trophy and the Harmon International Trophy, and he received honorary degrees from half a dozen colleges and universities.⁠[10]

1971–1972Leaves the Astronaut Corps and Retires from the Air Force

Aldrin left the astronaut program in 1971 and returned to active duty with the Air Force; he retired as a colonel in March 1972, when he was commander of the USAF Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, California.⁠[1]

Aldrin resigned from NASA in July 1971, having logged nearly 290 hours in space, including almost 8 hours of spacewalks.⁠[10]

1996Science Fiction with John Barnes

Drawing on his astronaut experience, Aldrin wrote Return to Earth and Men From Earth; in 1996 he co-authored his first science fiction novel, Encounter with Tiber, with John Barnes, and their second novel, The Return, was published in 2001.⁠[11]

He also designed “The Cycler,” a space complex that would orbit perpetually between the Earth and Mars.⁠[11]

August 7, 2009Congressional Gold Medal

Public Law 111-44 of August 7, 2009, awarded the Congressional Gold Medal to Neil A. Armstrong, Aldrin, Michael Collins and John Glenn, honoring Aldrin as the Apollo 11 lunar module pilot and the second person to walk on the Moon.⁠[12]

January 20, 2023Marries on His 93rd Birthday

On January 20, 2023, his 93rd birthday, Aldrin announced that he had married Anca Faur, executive vice president of Buzz Aldrin Ventures, in a small private ceremony in Los Angeles; his three previous marriages ended in divorce.⁠[13]

Faur holds a Ph.D. in chemical engineering; on the same day Aldrin was also honored by Living Legends of Aviation.⁠[14]

As of January 2023, Aldrin was the last surviving member of the Apollo 11 crew.⁠[13]

Aldrin has two sons and one daughter.⁠[15]

Related Organizations, Websites, and Public Accounts

NASA: Official website: https://www.nasa.gov/ (opens in a new window)⁠[10]