Buzz Aldrin - Biography - IMDb Buzz Aldrin Jump to: Overview (3) | Mini Bio (1) | Spouse (3) | Trivia (14) | Personal Quotes (8) Overview (3) 5' 10" (1.78 m) Mini Bio (1) Buzz Aldrin was born on January 20, 1930 in Montclair, New Jersey, USA as Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr. He is known for his work on The Other Side of the Moon (1990), Fly Me to the Moon 3D (2008) and Apollo 11: The Untold Story (2006). He was previously married to Lois Driggs Cannon, Beverly Van Zile and Jean Ann Archer. Spouse (3) ( 29 December 1954 - 1972) (divorced) (3 children) Trivia (14) Astronaut, second man on the moon. Aldrin's mother's maiden name was Moon. Had his first name legally changed to "Buzz" in 1979. Moonwalker.

Lunar Module Pilot, Apollo 11, making him the second man to walk on the Moon. Society of Operating Cameramen, (SOC) Recipient, Technical Achievment Award (1995) "NASA, First live television broadcast from the Moon" (1969). His Swedish ancestors were blacksmiths who emigrated to America from the province Värmland in Sweden. Inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame in 2007 for his services to enterprise and space (inaugural election). Official induction ceremonies held in May 2008. In 2007, at age 77, he underwent plastic surgery for a face-lift. Claims that being subjected to countless bouts of G-force as a fighter pilot and astronaut caused his jowls to sag prematurely. Flew twice for NASA. Once on the first manned lunar expedition Apollo 11 with Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins and once on Gemini 12 with Jim Lovell , the last Gemini mission. On the historic Apollo 11 mission, the lunar module was Eagle and the command module was Columbia. Honorary member of the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC).

Jokingly credited in Monty Python's Flying Circus: The Buzz Aldrin Show (1970) as actor, writer and makeup artist. Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7021 Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street in Hollywood, California on January 14, 1993. His nickname "Buzz" originated in childhood. The younger of his two older sisters mispronounced 'brother' as 'buzzer', which was then shortened to 'Buzz'. Wrote a 2009 memoir "Magnificent Desolation," telling in detail his problems after his return from the moon with divorce, drinking, depression, and despair and checking into rehab in 1975 where he started the long climb back to sobriety and hope. Personal Quotes (8) [on joining Neil Armstrong in first walk on the moon, 20 July 1969] Beautiful! Beautiful! Magnificent desolation! [on why no famous photos were taken of Neil Armstrong during the Apollo 11 landing on the moon] As the sequence of lunar operations evolved, Neil had the camera most of the time, and the majority of pictures taken on the moon that include an astronaut are of me.

It wasn't until we were back on Earth and in the lunar receiving laboratory looking over the pictures that we realized there were few pictures of Neil. My fault, perhaps, but we had never simulated this in our training. There's a need for accepting responsibility - for a person's life and making choices that are not just ones for immediate short-term comfort. You need to make an investment, and the investment is in health and education. We can continue to try and clean up the gutters all over the world and spend all of our resources looking at just the dirty spots and trying to make them clean. Or we can lift our eyes up and look into the skies and move forward in an evolutionary way. I think humans will reach Mars, and I would like to see it happen in my lifetime. Mars is there, waiting to be reached. The torment of depression and the complications of addiction that accompany it affect millions, including myself and family members before me - my grandfather committed suicide before I was born and my mother the year before I went to the moon - along with hundreds of veterans who come to a similar fate each year," Aldrin wrote.

"As individuals and as a nation we need to be compassionate and supportive of all who suffer and give them the resources to face life. [on Robin Williams] I regarded Robin Williams as a friend and fellow sufferer. His passing is a great loss. The torment of depression and the complications of addiction that accompany it affect millions, including myself and family members before me - my grandfather committed suicide before I was born and my mother the year before I went to the moon - along with hundreds of veterans who come to a similar fate each year. As individuals and as a nation we need to be compassionate and supportive of all who suffer and give them the resources to face life. Robin Williams RIP. See also Buzz Aldrin Astronaut Apollo 11, Gemini 12 » FAQ What you always wanted to know Who is the astronaut in the famous visor shot? The iconic image is of Buzz, taken by Neil Armstrong during their historic moonwalk on July 20, 1969. One of Neil’s tasks was to document the moonwalk, so the vast majority of the first lunar landing photos are of Buzz.

The unique feature of the Visor photo is that you can see the reflection of the Eagle Lander and of Neil snapping the shot in the visor of Buzz’s helmet. What is Buzz Aldrin’s real name? Buzz Aldrin’s real name is, in fact, Buzz Aldrin. He had it legally changed to Buzz in the early 80’s from his given name Edwin E. Aldrin Jr. The name “Buzz” evolved from his sister Fay Ann’s mispronunciation of the word “brother” which became “Buzzer.” By fate, or by coincidence, his mothers’ name was Marion Moon. What was it like to walk on the moon? As Buzz backed down the ladder of the Eagle Lander and first set foot onto the moon, he gazed at the lunar landscape and spontaneously remarked to Houston, “Beautiful, beautiful. Magnificent desolation.” Does Buzz still see the other lunar astronauts? Buzz is in contact with many of the other astronauts and has had occasion to visit with them during periodic Apollo reunions. He sees Neil when passing through Ohio and recently took a salmon fishing trip to Alaska with Mike Collins.

Of the 24 astronauts that orbited the moon or landed on its surface, 18 are still living. Where can I find a moon rock? NASA recently presented each of the Apollo astronauts with the Ambassador of Exploration Award – including a moon rock to be donated to the museum of their choice. Buzz donated his moon rock to the California Science Center in Los Angeles. You can also find three on display at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, as well as one at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C. that you can actually touch. What has Buzz been doing since the moon landing? Designing rockets, deep sea exploring, speaking all over the world for privatizing space and stimulating support for America’s space program. Buzz is as active today as when he walked on the moon. He has written six books and numerous articles advocating concepts for the future of space travel. He served as a presidential appointee to the Commission on the Future of the US Aerospace Industry. He appears frequently on television as a commentator. Did Buzz Aldrin inspire the Disney character Buzz Lightyear?

Yes, “to infinity and beyond!” In fact Disney asked Buzz to give some space travel tips to Buzz Lightyear for his 2008 shuttle flight to the International Space Station to help celebrate NASA’s 50th Anniversary. Aldrin willingly agreed, but of course reminded Lightyear who the “real” Buzz was! Does Buzz still like to explore? Absolutely! Since returning from the moon, Buzz keeps his love of exploration alive: A deep sea dive 2 ½ miles down in a yellow French minisubmarine, the Nautile, to the ruins of the Titanic; An expedition to the North Pole on a Russian nuclear-powered icebreaker along with “20/20”host Hugh Downs; On his list of future destinations to explore – a journey to the South Pole. Read more in Exploring the Titanic: Buzz Aldrin goes from Astronaut to Argonaut. What is Buzz’s vision for the future of human space exploration? Dr. Aldrin actively supports America’s return to the moon and human missions to Mars to establish permanent settlements. He also advocates international cooperation and space tourism as essential elements to the future of exploration. He founded ShareSpace Foundation to advance opportunities for civilian space travel via a space lottery program.

Read more about Buzz’s vision for the future in Advocacy, and learn about his rocket designs to take us there in Rocket Science. I’ve heard that the MTV Video Music Award statuette is named after Buzz. Is this true? Yes, the VMA “Moonman” award has been alternately referred to as the “Buzzy” and images of Buzz on the moon were used for MTV’s original station identification. In fact, the network aired “20 Things You Didn’t Know About the VMA’s” as part of the 20th Anniversary of their awards show, featuring Buzz as the inspiration for the “Moonman” statuette. MTV former President Tom Freston is a personal fan of Buzz’s, and recently presented him with the statuette inscribed “To the original Moonman.” Does Buzz still pilot planes?

Buzz’s flying experiences include: USAF fighter pilot in the Korean War flying F-86 Sabre Jets, USAF tour of duty in Germany flying F-100’s as D-Flight commander in the “Big 22”, Gemini 12 Mission Pilot, Lunar Module Pilot of Apollo 11, testing experimental aircraft as Commander of the Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, and a brief stint in the 1970’s at Santa Monica Airport Flight School flying a Cessna. More recently he has taken the controls of an F-16 with his former 22nd Fighter Squadron at Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany. Would Buzz want to return to the moon, or go to Mars? In a recent CNN interview with Miles O’Brien, Buzz he’d take the leap on a 4-day journey back to the moon. He’d like to check on how that American flag is holding up that he and Neil planted in 1969. As much as he’d love to go to Mars, it’s a “much longer duration mission.” He’s had his space trips, and now is working so you can go too, and have the chance to be among those who walk on Mars.

Buzz Aldrin - Facts & Summary - HISTORY.com A+E Networks Introduction Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr. (1930-), better known as “Buzz,” was part of the Apollo 11 mission that first put a man on the moon. The son of a U.S. Air Force colonel, Aldrin became a top student at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point before a decorated stint as a fighter pilot during the Korean War. He was among the first NASA astronauts tapped for the nascent space program, and his historic Apollo 11 mission with Neil Armstrong in 1969 was televised to an estimated 600 million viewers. Aldrin later returned to the Air Force in a managerial role and developed spacecraft systems, writing an autobiography and publishing several additional books. Google Buzz Aldrin’s Early Life Born Edwin Eugene “Buzz” Aldrin, Jr. on January 20, 1930, in Montclair, New Jersey . The nickname “Buzz” originated in childhood: his little sister mispronounced the word “brother” as “buzzer.” His family shortened the nickname to “Buzz.” Aldrin would make it his legal first name in 1988.

His mother, Marion Moon, was the daughter of an Army chaplain. His father, Edwin Eugene Aldrin, was a Colonel in the U.S. Air Force. In 1947, Buzz graduated from Montclair High School in Montclair, New Jersey, and headed to West Point Military Academy in New York . He took well to the discipline and strict regimens, and was the first in his class his freshman year. He graduated was third in his class in 1951 with a BS in mechanical engineering. Buzz Aldrin: Military Career Aldrin’s father felt his son should continue on to multiengine flight school so that he could eventually take charge of his own flight crew, but Buzz wanted to become a fighter pilot. His father relented to his son’s wishes, and after a summer of hitching around Europe on military planes, Buzz officially entered the United States Air Force in 1951. He again scored near the top of his class in flight school, and began fighter training later that year. During his time in the military, Aldrin joined the 51st Fighter Wing, where he flew F-86 Sabre Jets in 66 combat missions in Korea.

During the Korean war, F-86 planes fought to defend South Korea from the invasion of Communist forces in North Korea. Aldrin’s wing was responsible for breaking the enemy “kills” record during combat, when they shot down 61 enemy MiGs and grounded 57 others in one month of combat. Aldrin shot down two MiGs, and was decorated with the Distinguished Flying Cross for his service during the war. After a cease-fire was declared between North and South Korea in 1953, Aldrin returned home. He returned to school this time, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) where he planned to complete a master’s degree and then apply for test pilot school. Instead, he earned a Ph.D. in aeronautics and astronautics, graduating in 1963. His thesis subject “Line-of-sight guidance techniques for manned orbital rendezvous” was the study of bringing piloted spacecraft into close proximity with each other. Buzz Aldrin: Space Flight His specialized study of rendezvous helped to earn him entry into the space program shortly after graduation. In 1963, Aldrin was part of a third group of men selected by NASA to attempt to pioneer space flight.

Aldrin was put in charge of creating docking and rendezvous techniques for spacecraft. He also pioneered underwater training techniques, to simulate flight in zero gravity. In 1966, Aldrin and astronaut Jim Lovell were assigned to the Gemini 12 crew. During their November 11 to November 15, 1966, space flight, Aldrin made a five-hour spacewalk the longest and most successful spacewalk ever done up to that time. He also used his rendezvous abilities to manually recalculate all the docking maneuvers on the flight, after the on-board radar failed. After Gemini 12, Aldrin was assigned to the backup crew of Apollo 8 along with Neil Armstrong and Harrison “Jack” Schmitt. On July 20, 1969, Buzz, along with flight commander Neil Armstrong, made the historic Apollo 11 moonwalk, becoming the first two humans to set foot on another planet. They spent a total of 21 hours on the moon’s surface, and returned with 46 pounds of moon rocks. The walk, which was televised, drew an estimated 600 million people to watch, becoming the world’s largest television audience in history.

Upon their safe return to Earth, Buzz was decorated with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, followed by a 45-day international goodwill tour. Among their distinguished honors and medals, Buzz and his Apollo 11 crew also have four stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in California . On March 1972, after 21 years of service, Aldrin retired from active duty and returned to the Air Force in a managerial role. He later admitted in his 1973 autobiography, Return to Earth, that he struggled with depression and alcoholism following his years with NASA. After struggling with divorce and maintaining sobriety, Aldrin turned to studying advancements in space technology. He devised a spacecraft system for missions to Mars known as the “Aldrin Mars Cycler,” and has received three US patents for his schematics of a modular space station, Starbooster reusable rockets, and multi-crew modules. He also founded ShareSpace Foundation, a nonprofit devoted to advancing space education, exploration and affordable space flight experiences. Aldrin has been married three times. His first wife was actress Joan Archer, followed by Beverly Zile. He married his current wife, Lois Driggs Cannon, on Valentine’s Day in 1988.

He has three children and one grandchild. Biography courtesy of BIO.com Buzz Aldrin Astronaut Apollo 11, Gemini 12 » Biography Biography A life of service and accomplishment Buzz Aldrin grew up in Montclair, New Jersey. His mother, Marion Moon, was the daughter of an Army Chaplain and his father Edwin Eugene Aldrin was an aviation pioneer. Buzz graduated one year early from Montclair High School and he attended 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 F100′s, he earned 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 pioneered underwater training techniques to simulate spacewalking. In 1966 on the Gemini 12 orbital mission, Buzz performed the world’s first successful spacewalk – extra-vehicular activity (EVA), and set a new EVA record of 5 1⁄2 hours. During that mission he also took the first ‘selfie’ in space. On July 20, 1969, Buzz and Neil Armstrong made their historic Apollo 11 moonwalk, becoming the first two humans to set foot on another world. An estimated 600 million people – at that time, the world’s largest television audience in history – witnessed this unprecedented heroic endeavor. Upon returning from the moon, Buzz was decorated with the Presidential Medal of Freedom and numerous awards all over the world. Named after Buzz are Asteroid “6470 Aldrin” and the “Aldrin Crater” on the moon. In 2011 along with his Apollo 11 crew mates Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins, he received the Congressional Gold Medal.

Buzz is the author of 9 books, most recently his children’s book, Welcome to Mars: Making a Home on the Red Planet and his newest NY Times and Washington Post Bestseller, “No Dream Is Too High: Life Lessons from a Man Who Walked on the Moon”. Both published by National Geographic. In October of 2014 he revamped his ShareSpace Foundation to be focused on STEAM Education – Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math to ignite the spark and fuel excitement for space in kids –Specifically for K-8. In August of 2015 he launched the Buzz Aldrin Space Institute at Florida Tech to promote and develop his vision of a permanent human settlement on the planet Mars. Since retiring from NASA and the U.S. Air Force, Col. Aldrin calls himself a Global Statesman for Space and has remained a tireless advocate for human space exploration. Buzz Aldrin | Military Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Edit Aldrin was born in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, [1] [2] to Edwin Eugene Aldrin, Sr., a career military man, and his wife Marion (née Moon).

[3] [4] He is of Scottish, Swedish, [5] and German ancestry. After graduating from Montclair High School in 1946, [6] Aldrin turned down a full scholarship offer from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and went to the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York . The nickname "Buzz" originated in childhood: the younger of his two elder sisters mispronounced "brother" as "buzzer", and this was shortened to Buzz. Aldrin made it his legal first name in 1988. [7] Military career Edit Buzz Aldrin graduated third in his class at West Point in 1951, with a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering. He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force and served as a jet fighter pilot during the Korean War . He flew 66 combat missions in F-86 Sabres and shot down two Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 aircraft. The June 8, 1953, issue of Life magazine featured gun camera photos taken by Aldrin of one of the Russian pilots ejecting from his damaged aircraft.

[8] Subsequent to the war, Aldrin was assigned as an aerial gunnery instructor at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, and next was an aide to the dean of faculty at the United States Air Force Academy, which had recently begun operations in 1955. He flew F-100 Super Sabres as a flight commander at Bitburg Air Base , Germany, in the 22d Fighter Squadron . In 1963 Aldrin earned a doctor of science degree in astronautics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His graduate thesis was "Line-of-sight guidance techniques for manned orbital rendezvous", [9] the dedication of which read, "In the hopes that this work may in some way contribute to their exploration of space, this is dedicated to the crew members of this country’s present and future manned space programs. If only I could join them in their exciting endeavors!" On completion of his doctorate, he was assigned to the Gemini Target Office of the Air Force Space Systems Division in Los Angeles before his selection as an astronaut.

His initial application to join the astronaut corps was rejected on the basis of having never been a test pilot; that prerequisite was lifted when he re-applied and was accepted into the third astronaut class. NASA career Aldrin during Gemini 12 with the Earth reflecting off his visor Aldrin and Jim Lovell after the Gemini 12 mission Aldrin walks on the surface of the Moon during Apollo 11. Aldrin was selected as part of the third group of NASA astronauts selected in October 1963. Because test pilot experience was no longer a requirement, this was the first selection for which he was eligible. After the deaths of the original Gemini 9 prime crew, Elliot See and Charles Bassett , Aldrin and Jim Lovell were promoted to back-up crew for the mission. The main objective of the revised mission (Gemini 9A) was to rendezvous and dock with a target vehicle, but when this failed, Aldrin improvised an effective exercise for the craft to rendezvous with a co-ordinate in space. He was confirmed as pilot on Gemini 12, the last Gemini mission and the last chance to prove methods for extra-vehicular activity (EVA).

Aldrin set a record for EVA, demonstrating that astronauts could work outside spacecraft. Aldrin's lunar footprint in a photo taken by him on July 20, 1969 On July 21, 1969, he became the second astronaut to walk on the Moon, keeping his record total EVA time until that was surpassed on Apollo 14. There has been much speculation about Aldrin's desire at the time to be the first astronaut to walk on the Moon. [10] According to different NASA accounts, he had originally been proposed as the first to step onto the Moon's surface, but due to the physical positioning of the astronauts inside the compact lunar landing module, it was easier for the commander, Neil Armstrong, to be the first to exit the spacecraft. Aldrin, a Presbyterian , was the first person to hold a religious ceremony on the Moon.

After landing on the Moon, he radioed Earth: "I'd like to take this opportunity to ask every person listening in, whoever and wherever they may be, to pause for a moment and contemplate the events of the past few hours, and to give thanks in his or her own way." He took communion on the surface of the Moon, [11] but he kept it secret because of a lawsuit brought by atheist activist Madalyn Murray O'Hair over the reading of Genesis on Apollo 8. [12] Aldrin, a church elder, used a home communion kit given to him, and recited words used by, his pastor at Webster Presbyterian Church, the Rev. Dean Woodruff.

[13] [14] The communion elements were the first food and liquid consumed on the Moon: in Guideposts , Aldrin stated: “It was interesting to think that the very first liquid ever poured on the moon, and the first food eaten there, were communion elements.” [11] [15] Webster Presbyterian Church, a local congregation in Webster, Texas , (a Houston suburb near the Johnson Space Center) possesses the chalice used for communion on the Moon, and commemorates the event annually on the Sunday closest to July 20. [16] Video from the Apollo 11 mission Col. Aldrin as Commandant of the Air Force Test Pilot School Retirement Edit After leaving NASA, Aldrin was assigned as the Commandant of the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base , California. In March 1972, Aldrin retired from active duty after 21 years of service, and returned to the Air Force in a managerial role, but his career was blighted by personal problems.

His autobiographies Return to Earth, published in 1973, and Magnificent Desolation, published in June 2009, both provide accounts of his struggles with clinical depression and alcoholism in the years following his NASA career. [17] His life improved considerably when he recognized and sought treatment for his problems, and with his marriage to Lois Driggs Cannon. Since retiring from NASA, he has continued to promote space exploration, including producing a computer strategy game called Buzz Aldrin's Race Into Space (1993). To further promote space exploration, and to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the first lunar landing, Aldrin teamed up with Snoop Dogg , Quincy Jones , Talib Kweli , and Soulja Boy to create the rap single and video, "Rocket Experience", with proceeds from video and song sales to benefit Aldrin's non-profit foundation, ShareSpace. [18] In 1995, he made a featured appearance in the Charlton Heston , Mickey Rooney , and Deborah Winters film America: A Call to Greatness , directed by Warren Chaney .

[19] [20] He referred to a " Phobos monolith " in a July 22, 2009, interview with C-SPAN: "We should go boldly where man has not gone before. Fly by the comets, visit asteroids, visit the moon of Mars. There's a monolith there. A very unusual structure on this potato shaped object that goes around Mars once in seven hours. When people find out about that they're going to say 'Who put that there? Who put that there?' The universe put it there. If you choose, God put it there…" [21] Aldrin has voiced parody versions of himself in two of Matt Groening 's animated series: The Simpsons episode " Deep Space Homer "- where he accompanies Homer Simpson on a trip into space as part of NASA's plan to improve its public appearance- and the Futurama episode " Cold Warriors ". In 2011 Aldrin appeared as himself in the film Transformers: Dark of the Moon , where he explains to Optimus Prime and the Autobots that the Apollo 11 mission also discovered a Cybertronian ship on the moon whose existence was concealed from the public.

In 2012, he made a cameo appearance in Japanese drama film Space Brothers . Aldrin also lent his voice talents to the 2012 video game Mass Effect 3 , playing a stargazer who appears in the game's final scene. Buzz Aldrin, February 2009 Edit In 1985, Aldrin proposed the existence of a special spacecraft trajectory now known as the Aldrin cycler . [22] [23] A spacecraft traveling on an Aldrin cycler trajectory would pass near the planets Earth and Mars on a regular (cyclic) basis. The Aldrin cycler is an example of a Mars cycler . He was also instrumental in the idea of training of astronauts underwater in order to better prepare them for the intricate space walks and duties of maintenance while in space. Edit On September 9, 2002, Aldrin was lured to a Beverly Hills hotel on the pretext of being interviewed for a Japanese children's television show. When he arrived, Apollo Conspiracy proponent Bart Sibrel accosted him with a film crew and demanded he swear on a Bible that the Moon landings were not faked.

After a brief confrontation Aldrin punched Sibrel in the jaw. The police determined that Aldrin was provoked and no charges were filed. [24] Aldrin dedicates a chapter to this incident in his autobiography Magnificent Desolation. [25] Criticism of NASA's 2003 return-to-moon objectives Edit In December 2003, Aldrin published an opinion piece in The New York Times criticizing NASA's objectives. [26] In it, he voiced concern about NASA's development of a spacecraft "limited to transporting four astronauts at a time with little or no cargo carrying capability" and declared the goal of sending astronauts back to the Moon was "more like reaching for past glory than striving for new triumphs".

Support of a manned mission to Mars Edit In June 2013, Aldrin wrote an opinion published in The New York Times supporting a manned mission to Mars and views the moon "not as a destination but more a point of departure, one that places humankind on a trajectory to homestead Mars and become a two-planet species." [27] Statement on global warming Edit In 2009, Aldrin said he was skeptical that humans were causing current global climate change : "I think the climate has been changing for billions of years. If it's warming now, it may cool off later. I'm not in favor of just taking short-term isolated situations and depleting our resources to keep our climate just the way it is today. I'm not necessarily of the school that we are causing it all, I think the world is causing it." [28] Books Edit Books co-authored by Aldrin include Return to Earth (1973), Men From Earth (1989), Reaching for the Moon (2005), Look to the Stars (2009) and Magnificent Desolation (2009).

He has also co-authored with John Barnes the science fiction novels Encounter with Tiber (1996) and The Return (2000). His book Mission to Mars was published in May 2013. Personal life Edit Aldrin has been married three times: to Joan Archer, mother of three raising/raised, James, Janice, and Andrew; to Beverly Zile, and to Lois Driggs Cannon who helped him with his recovery and recent divorce. He filed for divorce from Lois on June 15, 2011, in Los Angeles, citing " irreconcilable differences ", according to his attorney, one day after the couple separated. [29] The divorce was final on December 28, 2012. [30] His battles against depression and alcoholism have been documented, most recently in Magnificent Desolation. [31] [32] Aldrin is an active supporter of the Republican Party, headlining fundraisers for GOP members of Congress.

[33] In 2007, Aldrin confirmed to Time magazine that he had recently had a face-lift ; [34] he joked that the G-forces he was exposed to in space "caused a sagging jowl that needed some attention." [34] Aldrin commented on the passing of his Apollo 11 colleague, Neil Armstrong, by saying that he was "deeply saddened by the passing. I know I am joined by millions of others in mourning the passing of a true American hero and the best pilot I ever knew. I had truly hoped that on July 20th, 2019, Neil, Mike and I would be standing together to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of our moon landing...Regrettably, this is not to be." [35] [36] Honors In 2001, President Bush appointed Aldrin to the Commission on the Future of the United States Aerospace Industry .

[39] [40] Aldrin received the 2003 Humanitarian Award from Variety, the Children's Charity , which, according to the organization, "is given to an individual who has shown unusual understanding, empathy, and devotion to mankind." [41] Aldrin is on the National Space Society 's Board of Governors, and has served as the organization's Chairman; an inductee of the Astronaut Hall of Fame ; and a member of The Planetary Society , with Aldrin's pre-recorded voice appearing on nearly every episode of the Society's Planetary Radio . In 2006, the Space Foundation awarded Aldrin its highest honor, the General James E. Hill Lifetime Space Achievement Award. [42] For contributions to the television industry, Aldrin was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at Hollywood and Vine . [43] Inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame in 2007. In 2009, President Obama signed legislation conferring the Congressional Gold Medal upon Aldrin and his Apollo 11 crewmates, Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins . In a 2010 Space Foundation survey, Aldrin was ranked as the No.

9 (tied with astronauts Gus Grissom and Alan Shepard ) most popular space hero. [44] In 2011, Aldrin was nominated for Best Cameo at the 2011 Scream Awards for his role playing himself in Transformers: Dark of the Moon . Detached adapter panel sighting Edit In 2005, while being interviewed for a documentary titled First on the Moon: The Untold Story, Aldrin told an interviewer that they saw an unidentified flying object . Aldrin told David Morrison, a NASA Astrobiology Institute Senior Scientist, that the documentary cut the crew's conclusion that they were probably seeing one of four detached spacecraft adapter panels. Their S-IVB upper stage was 6,000 miles (9,700 km) away, but the four panels were jettisoned before the S-IVB made its separation maneuver so they would closely follow the Apollo 11 spacecraft until its first midcourse correction. [45] When Aldrin appeared on The Howard Stern Show on August 15, 2007, Stern asked him about the supposed UFO sighting.

Aldrin confirmed that there was no such sighting of anything deemed extraterrestrial, and said they were and are "99.9 percent" sure that the object was the detached panel. [46] [47] [48] Interviewed by the Science Channel , Aldrin mentioned seeing unidentified objects, and according to Aldrin his words were taken out of context; he asked the Science Channel to clarify to viewers he did not see alien spacecraft, but they refused. [49] In popular culture Aldrin has been portrayed by: Cliff Robertson in Return to Earth (1976) Hugh Davidson (voice) in the Mad episode, " Garfield of Dreams / I Hate My Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles " (2012) Paul-Henri Campbell poetry book Space Race features a complete cycle on the Apollo program and a five-part piece on Buzz Aldrin.

(2012) Himself in season 6, episode 5 of The Big Bang Theory , in a video clip Raj sends to Howard (2012) Monty Python's Flying Circus series 2, episode 4 (episode 17 overall), was entitled " The Buzz Aldrin Show (or: An Apology) " and aired October 20, 1970. Aldrin is referred to in dialogue, and the closing credits scroll over his NASA portrait. Pixar character Buzz Lightyear 's name was inspired by Aldrin. [50] Aldrin acknowledged the tribute when he pulled a Buzz Lightyear doll out during a speech at NASA, to rapturous cheers. [51] Aldrin did not receive any endorsement fees for the use of his first name. [4] Footage of Aldrin punching Apollo conspiracy proponent Bart Sibrel in the jaw on September 9, 2002 became a viral video and internet meme . Sibrel had lured Aldrin to a purported interview on space for a Japanese children's television show, whereupon Sibrel accosted him and insisted that Aldrin and others had lied about walking on the Moon.

The police determined that Aldrin was provoked and no charges were filed. [24] The title of the 2005 film, Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D , was derived from Aldrin's description of the lunar landscape upon first stepping onto the surface. He subsequently used the expression as the title of his 2008 memoir. In 2010, Aldrin was chosen to be a contestant on Season 10 of Dancing with the Stars . His professional partner was Ashly Costa who returned to the show for the first time since Season 3. They came in 10th place. Buzz Aldrin voiced a minor character, the Stargazer, in the original epilogue scene of Mass Effect 3 . Jarle Bernhoft named a song after Aldrin in his sophomore album, Solidarity Breaks , in 2010. In the X-Universe video game series the Aldrin star system and planet Aldrin are named for him. Bibliography Aldrin, Col. Edwin E., Jr. 1970. Footsteps on the Moon . Edison Electric Institute Bulletin. Vol. 38, No. 7, pp.

266–272. Aldrin, Buzz and Wayne Warga. 1973. Return to Earth. New York, Random House. Aldrin, Buzz and Malcolm McConnell. 1989. Men from Earth. New York: Bantam Books. Aldrin, Buzz and John Barnes. 1996. Encounter with Tiber. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1996. Aldrin, Buzz and John Barnes. 2000. The Return. New York: Forge. Aldrin, Buzz and Wendell Minor. 2005. Reaching for the Moon. New York: Harper Collins Publishers. Aldrin, Buzz and Ken Abraham. 2009. Magnificent Desolation: The Long Journey Home from the Moon. New York: Harmony Books. Aldrin, Buzz and Wendell Minor. 2009. Look to the Stars. Camberwell, Vic.: Puffin Books. Armstrong, Neil; Michael Collins; Edwin E. Aldrin; Gene Farmer; and Dora Jane Hamblin. 1970. First on the Moon: A Voyage with Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, Edwin E.

Aldrin, Jr. Boston: Little, Brown. References

Question: What was astronaut Buzz Aldrin's first name?
Answer: Edwin