Disability History Month: EDWIN EUGENE (BUZZ) ALDRIN: Astronaut (1930 – present)

Friday, October 17, 2014:

EDWIN EUGENE (BUZZ) ALDRIN: Astronaut (1930 – present)

Buzz Aldrin is best known as the second human ever to set foot upon the moon on July 20, 1969 (after Neil Armstrong), but he has also been recognized for other accomplishments: he graduated third in his class at West Point with a degree in mechanical engineering and went on to eventually earn a PhD; he served as a jet fighter pilot during the Korean War; he was selected as one of the third group of astronauts by NASA in 1963; he devised docking and rendezvous techniques for spacecraft in Earth and lunar orbit; he pioneered underwater training techniques for astronauts; he performed the world’s first successful spacewalk; and he was the lunar module pilot on Apollo 11, the first manned lunar landing. Upon his return to Earth after the moon landing, Aldrin received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest American peacetime award. An asteroid and a crater on the moon are named for him.

Aldrin’s two published memoirs – Return to Earth and Magnificent Desolation – document his experiences with clinical depression in the years after his NASA career. He openly speaks about seeking treatment for his depression, and he has continued his interest and pursuit of innovative engineering for future space exploration. Since retiring from NASA, he has continued to promote space exploration, including producing a computer strategy game called Buzz Aldrin's Race Into Space (1993). To further promote space exploration, and to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the first lunar landing, Aldrin teamed up with Snoop Dogg, Quincy Jones, Talib Kweli, and Soulja Boy to create the rap single and video, "Rocket Experience," with proceeds from video and song sales to benefit Aldrin's non-profit foundation, ShareSpace, a non-profit focused on sharing the wonders of space with children of all ages.

[An interesting bit of trivia: Buzz Aldrin’s mother’s maiden name was “Moon.”]

Attributions:

• Buzz Aldrin website: http://buzzaldrin.com/the-man/biography/
• Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buzz_Aldrin
• Psychology Today: http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200105/buzz-aldrin-down-earth
• ShareSpace Foundation: http://buzzaldrin.com/space-vision/sharespace-foundation/