Buzz Aldrin
Written by John Carl Villanueva
Of all the great astronauts (I know, they all are), Buzz Aldrin is undoubtedly the one who has managed to bring his popularity from the 60's and 70's well into the 21st century.
His name's easy for kids to recall especially after the showing of Pixar's Toy Story where a spaceman action figure named Buzz Lightyear (the film makers copied his first name) shares the limelight with Tom Hank's main character, Woody.
Earlier this year (2009), Buzz (not the action figure) collaborated with Snoop Dogg, Quincy Jones, Talib Kweli, and Soulja boy to record a rap single and video entitled "Rocket Experience". The recording was created to commemorate the 40th year since he and Neil Armstrong stepped on the moon to make "… one giant leap for mankind."
Actually, Neil Armstrong was the one who uttered those words and was the first to step on the moon. Buzz Aldrin followed right after, making him the second man to step on the lunar surface.
Buzz Aldrin was born in January 20, 1930 as Edwin Eugene Aldrin, Jr. However, since one of his sisters couldn't pronounce the word 'brother' correctly, repeatedly uttering 'buzzer' instead, the shortened version 'buzz' stuck.
After graduating from West Point in 1951, Buzz joined the US Air Force and was sent to the Korean War as a fighter pilot with a rank of Second Lieutenant. There, he managed to shoot down a couple of MiG-15s; one of which gave him the opportunity to take a photo of the pilot as he was ejecting. That photo landed on the June 8, 1953 issue of Life magazine.
He flew about 66 combat missions in that war before proceeding through a string of positions that included an aerial gunnery instructor, aide to the dean of faculty, flight commander, and finishing a doctorate degree at MIT.
In NASA, Buzz Aldrin was able to take part in the later Gemini missions. The last one, Gemini 12, saw him performing an EVA or Extra Vehicular Activity where he showed that astronauts could work outside their ship.
Then of course came his highly celebrated moon walk with his mission commander, Neil Armstrong on July 20, 1969.
Even up to this day, Buzz Aldrin is actively campaigning for more daring space explorations. Aside from his rap recording, Buzz also targeted the younger generations through a computer game in 1993 named "Buzz Aldrin's Race Into Space".
Universe Today has a book review on Buzz Aldrin's Magnificent Desolation. We've also covered his rap with Snoop Dog.
Aside from a long list of pages of him at NASA, Buzz Aldrin also has a website named after him.
Tired eyes? Let your ears help you learn for a change. Here are some episodes fromAstronomy Cast that just might suit your taste:
How Old is the Universe?
The Big Bang and Cosmic Microwave Background
Filed under: Astronomy
Related stories on Universe Today
- Buzz Aldrin Raps with Snoop Dog About Apollo 11
- Buzz Aldrin Working on Mars Shuttle Plans
- Listen to Apollo 11 Conversations the Earth Didn't Hear
- First Man on the Moon
- NASA Has a Little Fun With Buzz
