Last Updated: 09 Jan, 2024 | Views: 1014
Age: 94
Profession: Astronaut
Other Profession(s): Engineer, Fighter Pilot
Famous For: American former astronaut
Higher Education: Mechanical Engineering
Net Worth: $14 million
About (Profile/Biography)
Buzz Aldrin is a former fighter pilot, astronaut, and engineer from the United States. As the 1966 Gemini 12 mission pilot, he made three shuttle missions, and as the pilot of the Lunar Module Eagle on the 1969 Apollo 11 mission, he and mission commanding officer Neil Armstrong were the first two persons to land on the Moon. Aldrin was appointed as a member of NASA's Astronaut Group 3 after receiving a Doctor of Science degree in astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, making him the first astronaut with a doctorate.
Career
In 1947 – Aldrin chose the United States Air Force, which had separated from the military.
In 1952 – He was appointed to the 51st Fighter-Interceptor Wing's 16th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron.
In 1963 – Aldrin was one of fourteen astronauts selected for NASA's Astronaut Group 3.
In 1966 – Gemini 12 was launched from Cape Canaveral's Launch Complex 19 with Aldrin and his crew.
In 2016 – He was a tourist visiting the Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station in Antarctica when he became ill and had to be evacuated, first to McMurdo Station and then to Christchurch, New Zealand.
Achievements and Awards
• In 1969 – He received the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) for his role as Apollo 11 lunar module pilot.
• In 2006 – His highest honor, the General James E. Hill Lifetime Space Achievement Award, was presented to him by the Space Foundation.
• In 2019 – His lifetime contribution to science communication won him the Stephen Hawking Medal for Lifetime Achievement at the Starmus Festival.
Unknown Facts
• Aldrin was the first person to perform a religious ceremony on the Moon, though he kept it a secret. He received communion and perused the Bible.
• By reaching the South Pole at 86, Aldrin became the oldest person to do so. He had already reached the North Pole in 1998.
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