Pioneers and Innovators
Buzz Aldrin, Ph.D. (Colonel, USAF, Ret.)
NASA Astronaut (former)
PERSONAL DATA: Born January 20, 1930, in Montclair, New Jersey. Two
sons, one daughter. Married to the former Lois
Driggs Cannon of Phoenix. Their combined family is comprised of six
grown children and one grandson.
EDUCATION: Graduated from Montclair High School, Montclair, New Jersey;
received a bachelor of science degree in
1951 from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York,
graduating third in his class; and a doctorate of
science in Astronautics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
Cambridge. His thesis was "Guidance for Manned Orbital
Rendezvous." Aldrin has honorary degrees from six colleges and universities.
SPECIAL HONORS: Aldrin has received numerous decorations and awards,
including the Presidential Medal for Freedom
in 1969, the Robert J. Collier Trophy, the Robert H. Goddard Memorial
Trophy, and the Harmon International Trophy in
1967.
On November 11, 1966, he and command pilot James Lovell were launched
into space in the Gemini 12 spacecraft on a
4-day flight, which brought the Gemini program to a successful close.
Aldrin established a new record for extravehicular activity
(EVA), spending 5-1/2 hours outside the spacecraft.
He served as lunar module pilot for Apollo 11, July 16-24, 1969, the
first manned lunar landing mission. Aldrin followed Neil
Armstrong onto the lunar surface on July 20, 1969, completing a 2-hour
and 15 minute lunar EVA.
In July 1971, Aldrin resigned from NASA. Aldrin has logged 289 hours
and 53 minutes in space, of which, 7 hours and 52
minutes were spent in EVA.
EXPERIENCE: Prior to joining NASA, Aldrin flew 66 combat missions in
F-86's while on duty in Korea. At Nellis Air
Force
Base, Nevada, he served as an aerial gunnery instructor. Following his
assignment as aide to the dean of faculty at the Air Force Academy, Aldrin
flew F-100's as a flight commander at Bitburg, Germany. He went on to receive
a doctorate at MIT, and was then assigned to the Gemini Target Office of
the Air Force Space Systems Division, Los Angeles. In March 1972, Aldrin
retired from Air Force active duty, after 21 years of service. As a USAF
jet fighter pilot during the Korean War, he shot down two MIG 15 aircraft.
Since retiring from NASA, the Air Force, and his position as commander of the USAF Test Pilot School