As a matter of fact, it IS rocket science
Buzz Aldrin made history as the Lunar Module pilot on Apollo 11. He and Mission Commander Neil Armstrong were the first people to land on the Moon, and a short time afterward, he became the second person to set foot on the Moon.
Buzz Aldrin, who holds a doctorate in astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was the pilot on Gemini 12, the last Gemini mission. He pioneered training techniques on that mission, including neutrally-buoyant underwater training, which are still in use today. Aldrin set a record for extra-vehicular activity and proved that astronauts could work outside the spacecraft. Among his many honors is the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest American peacetime award.
When OMEGA and the rest of the world were celebrating the fortieth anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing, Buzz Aldrin took some time to reflect on his role in the adventure, the significance of the first lunar landing, and the future of space exploration.
Dr. Aldrin, forty years later, has the magnitude of the achievement of Apollo 11 diminished?
No. The interest generated by the commemoration events – the fortieth anniversary of Apollo 11, the fiftieth anniversary of NASA and others – has made it clear that the significance of what we did is appreciated.
“’This can’t be real.’ But of course, it is real.”
I have always tried to use these occasions to place more emphasis on helping the public understand what the benefits of space exploration have been in the past and what we can expect to get out of further exploration in the future. It’s a hard message to get across to a large number of people but it’s worth the effort.
You are still actively involved in the world of space adventure . . .
Yes, I’m moving on in my non-profit organization for space adventures. But at the moment, my greatest concern about the future is what the potential changes at NASA might be. And I would like to participate because it’s a very good opportunity to reaffirm that we are moving in the right direction; there are also some things which have happened which suggest that we should make some changes.
Does it surprise you that people are still excited about what you accomplished in 1969?
Over the years I’ve grown used to it. There was a long period of time when I was afraid that I would have to spend the rest of my life talking about the past! There are still parts of it which are really hard to communicate with real honesty. I’m referring to the emotions. It’s not that we didn’t have feelings and emotions; we were suppressing them so that we could concentrate on a job which required that we always thought about what was coming next.
Could you share what it was like on the day of the launch?
One memory that I’ve shared before is that after we had suited up and been driven to the elevator that would take us up to the capsule, I stood outside the rocket when Michael and Neil went in. I stood there for five or ten minutes – it seemed like quite a while – all by myself. I was looking out at the sun coming up and the waves coming in and the frost coming off the rocket.
I remember consciously thinking, “I want to remember this moment.” Often our memories get stimulated or activated by photographs of what was going on. This one is an exception.
And the landing itself?
The one time that nobody has pictures of is the few seconds after Neil and I touched down and turned the engine off and looked at each other. I remember patting Neil on the shoulder; he remembers us shaking hands. I don’t know which it was! But it was a great moment of shared pleasure, satisfaction and gratitude.
What was going through your mind when you stepped onto the Moon?
It is such a significant, impressive thing that it tends to humble the human beings carrying it out. You ask yourself, “What am I doing here? Do I deserve this? Am I doing the right thing? This can’t be real!” But of course, it is real. You see something that could never be recreated here on Earth, and the physical laws of gravity are different and there is no air. And it’s a quarter of a million miles away from home! And home is “up there”.
Dr. Buzz Aldrin was the first person to wear an OMEGA Speedmaster on the Moon. Neil Armstrong had left his aboard the Lunar Module as a reliable backup for the craft’s electronic timekeeping system. Information about Buzz and his non-profit organization, ShareSpace, is available at his website, www.buzzaldrin.com.
