Happy 93rd Birthday to Buzz Aldrin!
Buzz Aldrin is a retired NASA astronaut and U.S. Air Force fighter pilot. Selected by NASA in 1963 into the third group of astronauts, Aldrin was the first astronaut with a doctorate degree. 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 pioneered underwater training techniques for astronauts to simulate spacewalking.
In 1966 on the Gemini 12 orbital mission, Aldrin performed the world’s first successful spacewalk, and set a spacewalk record of 5 1/2 hours. During that mission, he also took the first "selfie" in space using a Hasselblad film camera. Aldrin made three spacewalks during the Gemini 12 mission.
Aldrin was the lunar module pilot on the 1969 Apollo 11 mission. On July 20, 1969, Aldrin and Neil Armstrong made their historic Apollo 11 moonwalk, becoming the first two humans to set foot on the moon. An estimated 600 million people witnessed the event worldwide on live television.
Since retiring from NASA and the U.S. Air Force, Buzz Aldrin has been a Global Statesman for Space and an advocate for human space exploration to Mars.
“Fear paralyzes in many ways, but especially if it keeps you from responding wisely and intelligently to challenges. The only way to overcome your fears is to face them head-on.” —Buzz Aldrin, from his book, No Dream Is Too High: Life Lessons From a Man Who Walked on the Moon (2018). https://www.amazon.com/No-
Dream-Too-High.../dp/1426216491
Buzz Aldrin biography.
Buzz Aldrin
Buzz Aldrin is a retired NASA astronaut and U.S. Air Force fighter pilot. Selected by NASA in 1963 into the third group of astronauts, Aldrin was the first astronaut with a doctorate degree. 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 pioneered underwater training techniques for astronauts to simulate spacewalking.
In 1966 on the Gemini 12 orbital mission, Aldrin performed the world’s first successful spacewalk, and set a spacewalk record of 5 1/2 hours. During that mission, he also took the first "selfie" in space using a Hasselblad film camera. Aldrin made three spacewalks during the Gemini 12 mission.
Aldrin was the lunar module pilot on the 1969 Apollo 11 mission. On July 20, 1969, Aldrin and Neil Armstrong made their historic Apollo 11 moonwalk, becoming the first two humans to set foot on the moon. An estimated 600 million people witnessed the event worldwide on live television.
Since retiring from NASA and the U.S. Air Force, Buzz Aldrin has been a Global Statesman for Space and an advocate for human space exploration to Mars.
“Fear paralyzes in many ways, but especially if it keeps you from responding wisely and intelligently to challenges. The only way to overcome your fears is to face them head-on.” —Buzz Aldrin, from his book, No Dream Is Too High: Life Lessons From a Man Who Walked on the Moon (2018). https://www.amazon.com/No-
Dream-Too-High.../dp/1426216491
Buzz Aldrin biography.
Buzz Aldrin
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