Former astronaut Buzz Aldrin, the second person to walk on the moon in 1969, has landed in New Zealand, after being evacuated from the South Pole after a health scare– Buzz is 86 years old. He seems to be doing well. Story here.
From April, 2016:
He’s the second man on the moon, but the first to say he peed on the moon. But enough of that! He’s first in our hearts.
Buzz Aldrin, best known for his Apollo 11 moonwalk, holds a doctoral degree in astronautics and, at age 85, continues to wield influence as an international advocate of space science and planetary exploration. He has written three nonfiction books, two science fact/fiction novels and two children’s books. The newest is No Dream Is Too High: Life Lessons from a Man Who Walked on the Moon.
Buzz got on the phone with Lee Callahan, and with the help of her Facebook friends, asked Buzz the tough questions:
What should be the future of space exploration?
He could see a Starship Enterprise-like reality in the next century.
Does he like science fiction?
Arthur C. Clarke (2001: A Space Odyssey)
When did seeing the moon in the sky (after his return) become routine again? It must have been pretty weird there for awhile to look up at the moon and think, “hey, I was THERE!”
He said he thought his mind was strong enough to see the moon for what it is now!
Has he ever read the Nixon speech that was drafted (and ready to be delivered) if the Apollo 11 crew had perished?
Why, yes, he has.
For the full audio interview, listen in here:
The Buzz Aldrin Interview
96.5 Jack FM
playpause
In this handout photo provided by the Richard Nixon Foundation, Apollo XI astronauts Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin laugh with President Richard Nixon aboard the USS Hornet, July 24, 1969. The President was on hand to greet the astronauts after their splashdown in the Pacific. (Photo by Richard Nixon Foundation via Getty Images)
376713 11: (FILE PHOTO) A view of the Earth appears over the Lunar horizon as the Apollo 11 Command Module comes into view of the Moon before Astronatus Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin Jr. leave in the Lunar Module, Eagle, to become the first men to walk on the Moon’s surface. The 30th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon mission is celebrated July 20, 1999. (Photo by NASA/Newsmakers)
376713 20: (FILE PHOTO) The deployment of scientific experiments by Astronaut Edwin Aldrin Jr. is photographed by Astronaut Neil Armstrong. Man’s first landing on the Moon occurred July 20, 1969 as Lunar Module “Eagle” touched down gently on the Sea of Tranquility on the east side of the Moon. The 30th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon mission is celebrated July 20, 1999. (Photo by NASA/Newsmakers)
Neil Armstrong leads Edwin ‘Buzz’ Aldrin and Michael Collins out of the space centre on the Apollo 11 space mission to the moon. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)
Apollo 11 astronauts Mike Collins (left), Neil Armstrong (centre), and Edwin ‘Buzz’ Aldrin, in front of the Lunar Landing Module Simulator at the Kennedy Space Centre, USA, prior to their landing on the moon. (Photo by Central Press/Getty Images)
23rd June 1968: Crew of the Apollo 11 lunar landing mission (left to right) Commander Neil Armstrong, command module pilot Michael Collins and lunar module pilot, Edwin Aldrin Jnr. Taken at the Manned Spacecraft Centre, Houston, Texas. (Photo by Central Press/Getty Images)
30Th Anniversary Of Apollo 11 Landing On The Moon (9 Of 20): Astronaut Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., Lunar Module Pilot, Is Photographed Walking Near The Lunar Module During The Apollo 11 Extravehicular Activity. Man’s First Landing On The Moon Occurred Today At 4:17 P.M. July 20, 1969 As Lunar Module “Eagle” Touched Down Gently On The Sea Of Tranquility On The East Side Of The Moon. The Lm (Lunar Module) Landed On The Moon On July 20, 1969 And Returned To The Command Module On July 21. The Command Module Left Lunar Orbit On July 22 And Returned To Earth On July 24, 1969. Apollo 11 Splashed Down In The Pacific Ocean On 24 July 1969 At 12:50:35 P.M. Edt After A Mission Elapsed Time Of 195 Hrs, 18 Mins, 35 Secs. (Photo By Nasa/Getty Images)
LAKE BUENA VISTA, FL – OCTOBER 02: In this handout photo provided by Disney, Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin poses Oct. 2, 2009 at the Magic Kingdom in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. with the 12-inch-tall Buzz Lightyear toy that spent 15 months in space onboard the International Space Station (ISS). Aldrin and the space ranger toy were joined Oct. 2, 2009 by ISS Expedition 18 astronaut Michael Fincke in a celebratory “homecoming” parade in front of thousands of guests at the Walt Disney World theme park. Disney Parks and NASA sent the Buzz Lightyear toy into space in 2008 as part of an educational initiative to encourage students to pursue studies in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The toy returned to earth Sept. 11, 2009 aboard Space Shuttle Discovery STS-128. (Photo by Garth Vaughan/Disney via Getty Images)
NEW YORK – MAY 31: Buzz Aldrin poses at new Intrepid Museum exhibition “27 Seconds” at Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum on May 31, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Joe Kohen/Getty Images for Intrepid Museum)
The three US astronauts from the Apollo 11 mission take part in a tickertape parade in the Ginza, Tokyo, during a two-day visit to Japan on their Goodwill Tour of the world, 4th-5th November 1969. (Photo by Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)