Buzz Aldrin
Born Edwin Eugene Aldrin, Jr on January 20, 1930, in Glen Ridge, NJ, "Buzz" is most famous for being the second person to walk on the moon. Buzz Aldrin was a pilot on the Apollo 11 moon mission, and on July 20, 1969, he became the second man to walk on the surface of the moon.
Prior to making history, Aldrin earned his doctorate of science in Astronautics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Aldrin graduated third in his class in 1951 with a Bachelor of Science degree. He also served prodly in the military, having flown sixty-six combat missions in F-86sin Korea, destroying two MIG-15 aircraft. When NASA saw his exceptional flight abilities, Aldrin was selected as part of the third group of NASA astronauts in October 1963.
During an early Gemini spaceflight, Aldrin set a record for extra-vehicular activity and proved that astronauts could work outside the spacecraft. Aldrin was eventually chosen as a member of the three-person Apollo11 crew that landed on the Moon on 20 July 1969, fulfilling the mandate of President John F Kennedy. Aldrin followed Neil Armstrong onto the lunar surface on July 20, 1969, completing a 2-hour and 15 minute lunar EVA. After landing on the moon, Aldrin radioed earth with these words: "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.
Aldrin has logged 289 hours and 53 minutes in space, of which, 7 hours and 52 minutes were spent in EVA. The Aldrin crater on the Moon near the Apollo 11 landing site is named in his honor. Today, he is very active in the international community. He currently serves as an aerospace consultant and writer.
