About Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin
Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin (born January 20, 1930) is an American former astronaut, engineer, and fighter pilot. He is best known for being the second person to walk on the Moon as part of the Apollo 11 mission in 1969.
Key Facts
- Full Name: Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr.
- Nickname: "Buzz"
- Pilot in the U.S. Air Force, flew 66 combat missions in Korea
- Received a Doctor of Science degree in Astronautics from MIT
- First successful spacewalk during Gemini 12 mission in 1966
- Second person to walk on the Moon on July 20, 1969
- Advocate for human space exploration and colonization of Mars
- Last surviving member of the Apollo 11 mission
Milestones
- 1966: First successful spacewalk during Gemini 12 mission
- 1969: Second person to walk on the Moon with Apollo 11
- 1971: Resigned from NASA
- 2011: Received the Congressional Gold Medal with Apollo 11 crewmates
- 2014: Revamped ShareSpace Foundation to focus on STEAM education
- 2015: Launched Buzz Aldrin Space Institute at Florida Tech