Edwin E. (Buzz) Aldrin

Buzz Aldrin Facts for Kids

  • Name: Edwin E. “Buzz” Aldrin
  • Born: January 20th, 1930
  • Died: Alive today
  • Education: U.S. Military Academy, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  • Space Agency: NASA
  • Missions: Gemini 12 and Apollo 11

19 Buzz Aldrin Facts for Kids

  1. Buzz Aldrin was an American astronaut with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
  2. Buzz Aldrin was 1 of 14 people selected to join NASA in the 1963 NASA Astronaut Group 3.
  3. Buzz Aldrin was born on Monday, January 20th, 1930 in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, USA.
  4. Buzz Aldrin was the son of Edwin Eugene Aldrin Sr. and Marion Aldrin.
  5. Buzz Aldrin graduated from West Point in 1951 with a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering.
  6. Buzz Aldrin has been married to three different women.
  7. Buzz Aldrin was married to Joan Ann Archer between 1954 and 1975, Beverly Van Zile between 1975 and 1978 and Lois Driggs Cannon between 1988 and 2012.
  8. Buzz Aldrin and Joan Ann Archer had three children together, two sons and one daughter.
  9. Buzz Aldrin is best known for being the 2nd person to walk on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission.
  10. Buzz Aldrin was a part of two human spaceflight missions, Gemini 12 and Apollo 14.
  11. The Gemini 12 mission was the last crewed spaceflight mission of Project Gemini.
  12. The Apollo 11 mission was the first human spaceflight mission to successfully land a man on the moon.
  13. Buzz Aldrin spent a total of 12 days, 1 hour and 53 minutes in Space.
  14. Buzz Aldrin completed 4 (Extravehicular activity) while in space.
  15. Buzz Aldrin spent a total of 7 hours and 52 minutes doing EVAs.
  16. The highest rank Buzz Aldrin achieved in the United States Air Force was Colonel.
  17. Buzz Aldrin received several awards throughout his lifetime, including the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, Distinguished Flying Cross and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
  18. Buzz Aldrin continues to advocate space exploration and in 2013 wrote an opinion piece in The New York Times supporting a manned mission to Mars.
  19. In 2016, Buzz Aldrin was the oldest person to visit the South Pole in Antarctica at the age of 86.

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