Buzz Aldrin was born in Montclair, New Jersey on January 20, 1930 to Marion Moon — the daughter of an Army Chaplain — and Edwin Eugene Aldrin — a Colonel in the Air Force, a ScD from MIT, and an aviation pioneer. Buzz attended West Point Military Academy, graduating third in his class. He then joined the Air Force, flying 66 combat missions in Korea, shooting down two MIG-15’s, and receiving 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.
In 1963 NASA selected Aldrin to become the first astronaut with a doctorate degree. Known as “Dr. Rendezvous,” the docking techniques he devised for spacecraft in orbit became critical to the success of the Gemini and Apollo programs and are still used today. He also pioneered underwater training techniques to simulate spacewalking and, in 1966, performed the world’s first successful spacewalk and later set a EVA record of 5 ½ hours. On July 20, 1969, Buzz and Neil Armstrong became the first two humans to set foot on another world. The world’s largest television audience in history at that time — 600 million people – witnessed this unprecedented heroic endeavor. Upon returning, Buzz was decorated with the Presidential Medal of Freedom — the highest American peacetime award — along with numerous intentional honors, including the Congressional Gold Medal.
Col. Aldrin has remained at the forefront of efforts to ensure America’s continued leadership in human space exploration. He devised a master plan for missions to Mars and has received three US patents for his schematics of a modular space station, reusable rockets, and multi-crew modules. He founded Starcraft Boosters, Inc. — a rocket design company — and Buzz Aldrin’s ShareSpace Foundation — a nonprofit devoted to addressing science literacy for children.
Dr. Aldrin is an author of eight books including his best-selling autobiography “Magnificent Desolation.” He continues to inspire today’s youth with his illustrated children’s books “Reaching for the Moon” and “Look to the Stars.” He has also authored two space science-fact-fiction novels: “The Return” and “Encounter with Tiber.” His latest book — “Mission to Mars: My Vision for Space Exploration” — was published in 2013. As one of the leading space exploration advocates, Buzz continues to chart a course for future space travel and is passionate about inspiring the younger generations of explorers and innovators.”
