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On July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong landed their Lunar Module on the moon's Sea of Tranquility and became the first two humans to walk on the moon. Dr. Aldrin was presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor amongst over 50 other distinguished awards and medals from the United States and numerous other countries. Leading up to this epic achievement, with a Doctorate in Astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Manned Space Rendezvous, the techniques he devised were used on all NASA missions, including the first space docking with the Russian Cosmonauts. At NASA, Dr. Aldrin established a new record for Extra-Vehicular Activity in space on the Gemini XII orbital flight mission in November 1966. As Backup Command Module Pilot for Apollo VIII, man's first flight around the moon, he significantly improved operational techniques for astronautical navigation star display.
Since retiring from NASA, the Air Force, and his position as Commander of the Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, Dr. Aldrin has remained at the forefront of efforts to ensure a continued leading role for America in manned space exploration. He founded his rocket design company, Starcraft Boosters, Inc., and the ShareSpace Foundation, a nonprofit organization devoted to opening the doors to space tourism. He is the author of the illustrated children's book Reaching for the Moon that debuted at #2 on the New York Times Bestseller's List, and has garnered many publishing accolades including the Parent's Choice Recommended Award and Publisher's Weekly Best Children's Book of 2005. He also authored two space novels, The Return and Encounter with Tiber, in addition to his autobiography, Return to Earth, and the bestseller historical documentary, Men from Earth, about the Apollo Program. | 