Who is edwin aldrin jr

That, too, was critical to the successful accomplishment of Apollo. Kennedy, to send Americans to the Moon and back safely before the end of the decade. Aldrin and Spacecraft Commander Neil A.

After collecting more than 47 pounds of lunar samples they returned to the orbiting Command Module Columbia, piloted by Michael Collins. Columbia and the three lunar explorers returned safely to Earth on July 24, In his two missions, Aldrin logged hours and 53 minutes in space, of which 7 hours and 52 minutes were spent in EVAs. In Edwin Aldrin resigned from the astronaut program and returned to active duty with the Air Force.

Since then Aldrin has remained at the forefront of efforts to ensure a continued leading role for America in manned space exploration to advance his life-long commitment to venturing outward in space. Colonel Aldrin has received numerous decorations and awards, including the Presidential Medal for Freedom in , the Robert J.

EDT, Neil Armstrong stepped down onto the Moon and made his famous statement, "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind. On 24 July , the three men splashed down in the Pacific Ocean.

They were picked up by the aircraft carrier, U. The three Apollo 11 astronauts were honored with a ticker tape parade in New York City soon after returning to Earth. Armstrong received the Medal of Freedom, the highest award offered to a U. In that position, he was responsible for the coordination and management of overall NASA research and technology work related to aeronautics. During the years , Armstrong served as chairman of Computing Technologies for Aviation, Inc.

Armstrong died on Aug. He later moved to Washington, D. Albans School. In , he attended the U. From to he logged more than 4, hours of flying time. He served as a pilot on the three-day Gemini X mission, launched July 18, His second flight was as Command Module pilot of the historic Apollo 11 mission in July He remained in lunar orbit while Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first people to walk on the Moon.

His role in the Apollo mission earned him many awards and accolades, including the Presidential Medal for Freedom in A year later he joined the Smithsonian Institution as the Director of the National Air and Space Museum, where he remained for seven years. While in this position, he was responsible for the construction of the new museum building, which opened to the public in July , ahead of schedule and below its budgeted cost.

Collins has completed two spaceflights, logging hours in space, of which 1 hour and 27 minutes was spent in EVA. He has written about his experiences in the space program in several books, including Carrying the Fire and Flying to the Moon and other Strange Places. Today he is an aerospace consultant and writer.

Bachelor of science in nuclear engineering from U. Flew on Apollo 8. Cumulative hours of spaceflight are more than Bachelor of science in aeronautical engineering from University of Texas. Flew on Apollo 12 and Skylab 3. Cumulative hours of spaceflight are more than 1, Cumulative EVA time is more than 10 hours. Bachelor of science from U. Military Academy; master of science in aeronautical engineering from California Institute of Technology. Bachelor of science in aeronautical engineering from Purdue University.

Kennedy Space Center, Florida, in the Apollo spacecraft fire. Bachelor of science in electrical engineering from Purdue University; master of science in aeronautical engineering from U. Navy Postgraduate School. Cumulative EVA time is more than 73 hours. Bachelor of science in aeronautical engineering from Princeton University. Cumulative EVA time is more than 14 hours. Flew on Apollo 7.

Bachelor of science in naval sciences from U. Naval Academy; master of science in aeronautics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Flew on Apollo Cumulative EVA time is more than 20 hours. Bachelor of science in astronautics from U. Naval Academy; master of science in astronautics from U. Air Force Institute of Technology. Died December 2, , in Tokyo, Japan, of a heart attack. Aldrin's first space mission was Gemini 12, which was with Jim Lovell, Jr.

During this flight, Aldrin established a new record for extra vehicular activity. In other words, his spacewalk proved that astronauts could work outside an orbiting vehicle to make repairs-a necessary ability if lunar flight was to become reality. Following completion of the Geminimissions, the race was on between the United States and Russia to see who would reach the moon first.

Aldrin completed many more hours of training to prepare for his role in different Apollo spaceflights. Intensive static and dynamic training classes were key components of the study program. Static training simulates space flight conditions.

Dynamic training prepares astronauts for the physical stresses of spaceflight. However, his studies also included geology. Field trips to Hawaii, Idaho, Oregon, and Iceland gave him an opportunity to study rock formations similar to those expected to be found on the moon.

During his months in training, Aldrin created ways to improve various operational techniques, such as those used with navigational star displays. It was a combination of his temperament and skill that led to his being named Back-up Command Module pilot for Apollo 8 December 21, , the United States' first attempt to orbit a manned lunar spacecraft.

The United States was ready to launch a lunar landing flight. Cortright, the three astronauts related their personal reactions to the lunar mission.

Aldrin's reflections, made on that momentous morning, give a sense of the tension and drama surrounding the launch. He shared, "While Mike and Neil were going through the complicated business of being strapped in and connected to the spacecraft's life-support system, I waited near the elevator on the floor below. I waited alone for fifteen minutes in a sort of serene limbo…. I could see the massiveness of the Saturn V rocket below and the magnificent precision of Apollo above.

I savored the wait and marked the minutes in my mind as something I would always want to remember. Three hours later, it was time to separate the command module, Columbia from the Saturn rocket's third stage, then turn around and connect with the lunar module, Eagle.

This was the next critical step in the Apollo mission. If anything went wrong during the separation and docking, the astronauts were to return to earth. Aldrin commented to Cortright that he felt "no apprehension about it the maneuver and the entire separation and docking proceeded perfectly to completion. By July 20th, the pressures were building.

In Collins' own words, "Day 4 has a decidedly different feel to it…. Despite our concentrated effort to conserve our energy on the way to the Moon, the pressure is overtaking us, and I feel that all of us are aware that the honeymoon is over and we are about to lay our little pink bodies on the line. Our first shock comes as we stop our spinning motion and swing ourselves around so as to bring the Moon into view.

We have not been able to see the Moon for nearly a day now, and the change is electrifying…. It is huge, completely filling our window. During the next few minutes, precision was critical. The Columbia had to move into a closer circular orbit of the Moon, one where the Eagle could separate and continue onward.

An overburn firing of the rocket engines of even two seconds would send the Columbia on an impact course with the far side of the Moon. As the Eagle moved towards the lunar surface, a yellow caution light came-on. Aldrin continued his narration, "Back in Houston, not to mention on board the Eagle, hearts shot up into throats while we waited to learn what would happen. We had received two of the caution lights when Steve Bales, the flight controller responsible for the LM lunar module computer activity, tells us to proceed.