Buzz Aldrin

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“Kennedy Had Actually Wanted Us To Go To Mars”

November 25, 2015 in Excerpts, Politics, Science/Tech | Permalink

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Buzz Aldrin likes to say things, and one of things he’s currently saying is that JFK really wanted NASA to shoot for Mars, not the moon, in the 1960s. Could be. There were tons of different space plans in post-war America that were weeded out before the moon became the target.

From Cameron Atfield at the Sydney Morning Herald:

President John F Kennedy’s famous moon speech could well have been a Mars speech had he not been talked down from his lofty ambitions, Buzz Aldrin revealed in Brisbane on Wednesday.

And the second human being to ever step on the surface of another world urged the United States to work closely with the Chinese in space to help promote peace on Earth.

Speaking at a superannuation conference in Brisbane, Dr Aldrin said he only recently learnt about President Kennedy’s belief his nation could launch a Mars mission in the 1960s.

“(NASA) told him it would take at least 15 years before we could put a man on the moon,” he said.

“Now, I recently learnt at MIT (the Massachusetts Institute of Technology) at the 100th anniversary of the aero/astro school department, that Kennedy had actually wanted us to go to Mars.

“He asked his engineers to figure it out and, after a weekend of rather intense calculations, they told him that Mars was just a little bit too far to go, but we could shoot for the moon as a more realistic goal.

“Can you imagine having only one weekend to figure that out for the president?”•

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“Pilgrims On The Mayflower Didn’t Make It Around Plymouth Rock For The Return Trip”

November 4, 2015 in Excerpts, Science/Tech, Urban Studies | Permalink

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America has a sadly long record of sending people off to die, often for poor and misguided reasons. Dispatching space pioneers to breathe their last on Mars would not be among those wrong-minded decisions, according to the dancingest and most-complex Apollo astronaut, Buzz Aldrin. The United States was conquered (well, stolen) by settlers who never went home, and Manifest Destiny migrants usually had no return ticket as they marched off into parts unknown. 

From Jonathan O’Callaghan at IFLScience!: 

“We will colonize Mars,” Aldrin told IFLScience, confidently. “I wrote this book, Welcome to Mars, to inspire the young people, because they will be the ones who will carry out these missions to Mars, perhaps participating in them. Maybe they’ll become a violinist, a lawyer, an engineer, or a fighter pilot if they’re lucky. Or maybe they’ll become a crew member trained by world resources, billions and billions of dollars, to go into the preparation of human beings to be selected and trained, hopefully willing to commit themselves to be pioneers, to be settlers [on Mars].”

Aldrin sees Mars as the logical next step to advancing America’s influence in space. “We have to rethink the requirements for being great in space, as a nation,” he said, “that will give America a further lasting heritage legacy in history books. And I want to be part of the planning for it.” He noted, though, that he hopes it is an international endeavor that includes nations such as China. …

He admits, though, that the idea of sending people to live out the rest of their lives on Mars might not sit well with some members of the public. “That’s not what a lot of people think the future ought to be, that the U.S. government should not commit to one-way trips,” he said.

“‘The U.S. government will never agree to send people to die on Mars,’ they say. “Well, come on. Think of history. Think of the opportunities that exist for young people in the future to become historic pioneers. Pilgrims on the Mayflower didn’t make it around Plymouth Rock for the return trip, they came here to settle America. And a lot of them lost their lives, but they pioneered what we have today. And as a military man among many, I pioneered the things that have kept our nation vibrant and alive, and optimistic. We need to instill optimism and excitement, for our children.”•

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“He Said He Hopes His ‘Master Plan’ Is Accepted By NASA And The Country”

August 28, 2015 in Excerpts, Politics, Science/Tech, Urban Studies | Permalink

The square-jawed hero astronauts of 1960s NASA went through marriages at a pretty ferocious clip, as you might expect from careerist monomaniacs, but none has had a more colorful, complicated life than Buzz Aldrin, who successfully walked on the moon but failed at selling used cars after he fell to Earth with a thud. Dr. Aldrin, as he prefers to be called, is now spearheading a plan to build Mars colonies. 

From Marcia Dunn at the AP:

MELBOURNE, Fla. (AP) — Buzz Aldrin is teaming up with Florida Institute of Technology to develop “a master plan” for colonizing Mars within 25 years.

The second man to walk on the moon took part in a signing ceremony Thursday at the university, less than an hour’s drive from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The Buzz Aldrin Space Institute is set to open this fall.

The 85-year-old Aldrin, who followed Neil Armstrong onto the moon’s surface on July 20, 1969, will serve as a research professor of aeronautics as well as a senior faculty adviser for the institute.

He said he hopes his “master plan” is accepted by NASA and the country, with international input. NASA already is working on the spacecraft and rockets to get astronauts to Mars by the mid-2030s.

Aldrin is pushing for a Mars settlement by approximately 2040. More specifically, he’s shooting for 2039, the 70th anniversary of his own Apollo 11 moon landing, although he admits the schedule is “adjustable.”

He envisions using Mars’ moons, Phobos and Deimos, as preliminary stepping stones for astronauts. He said he dislikes the label “one-way” and imagines tours of duty lasting 10 years.•

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“Booze. A Couple Of Divorces. A Psych Ward. Broke.”

December 24, 2014 in Excerpts, Science/Tech, Videos | Permalink

Buzz Aldrin hasn’t had the easiest life of all the American astronauts, but he’s probably had the most interesting one, from the exhilarating highs of, yes, the moon, to his metaphorical crash landing back on Earth. In her new GQ profile of the spaceman in his dotage, Jeanne Marie Laskas probably leans a little heavily on the idea that Aldrin has been so tortured because he was only the second man on the moon–maybe he focuses too much on that supposed cosmic slight himself?–but it’s still a really good piece about towering figure who had nowhere to go but down. An excerpt:

“‘The melancholy of all things done’ is the way Buzz once described his complete mental breakdown after returning from the moon. Booze. A couple of divorces. A psych ward. Broke. At one point he was selling cars.

Neither Neil Armstrong nor Michael Collins had a mental breakdown after returning from the moon. The public pressure was never as great on Mike; he was up orbiting the moon in the command module while Neil and Buzz puttered off in the Eagle and then gently touched down on the Sea of Tranquillity. Neil was of course the first to open the hatch, the first man to walk on the moon. He would go on to retire from space with dignity, people said. He turned into a buttoned-up academic, and then a businessman, honorably testifying before Congress about space exploration when called, and turning down just about every media request coming his way, turning down biography offers from people like James Michener. He sued Hallmark Cards for using his name and a recording of his ‘one small step’ quote for a Christmas ornament.

Buzz was of course the second man to walk on the moon.

Buzz made a rap video, ‘Rocket Experience,’ with Snoop Dogg. He did the cha-cha and the fox-trot and was eliminated in the second round of season ten of Dancing with the Stars. He has appeared on WWE Monday Night Raw, The Price Is Right, Space Ghost Coast to Coast, 30 Rock, The Big Bang Theory, The Simpsons, Futurama, Top Chef, and many dozens of other shows and movies as himself. He has written eight books, mostly about his own exploits in space, including four memoirs, two science fiction books, and a children’s book. He sells get your ass to mars T-shirts on his website, along with $600 Buzz Aldrin ‘First Step’ autographed lithographs.

The second man to walk on the moon. Number two.

When Neil died in 2012, the White House issued a statement saying he was ‘among the greatest of American heroes—not just of his time, but of all time.’

Recently Buzz had a hard time getting anyone at the White House to answer his calls about maybe doing a ceremony or something to commemorate the forty-fifth anniversary of his moon walk. (Eventually they pulled a little something together.)”•

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“Moonwalkin’ is a trip / It’s so fine”:

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“Aldrin Wants The Mars Explorers Of Tomorrow To Stay There”

October 27, 2014 in Excerpts, Science/Tech, Urban Studies | Permalink

Buzz Aldrin, who survived a mission to the moon and an est workshop, wants to send pioneers to Mars and leave them there for awhile, perhaps not permanently as some others have suggested, but for a good, long spell. From Abby Phillip at the Washington Post:

“Buzz Aldrin has been on a mission to the moon. But these days, the legendary Apollo 11 astronaut is fixated on one thing: Getting humankind to Mars — and keeping them there for a long time.

Aldrin has some ideas about what a human mission to the red planet should look like. And unlike his triumphant return to Earth, Aldrin wants the Mars explorers of tomorrow to stay there. Potentially, for a very long time.

‘It [will] cost the world — and the U.S. — billions and billions of dollars to put these people there, and you’re going to bring them back?’ Aldrin said during a panel discussion at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology this week. ‘What are you going to do when you bring them back here that can possibly compare [to] the value that they would be if they stayed there and Mars wasn’t empty? And then, they helped to work with the next group and it builds up a cadre of people. ‘When we’ve got 100 — or whatever it is — then we start bringing people back.'”

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“They Should Be The Beginning Of A Build-Up Of A Colony…I Call It A ‘Permanence'”

July 8, 2014 in Excerpts, Politics, Science/Tech, Urban Studies | Permalink

Two exchanges from Buzz Aldrin’s new Ask Me Anything at Reddit. The second human on the moon doesn’t think the first ones on Mars should have a return ticket.

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“Question:

Is there any experience on Earth that even compares slightly to having been on the Moon?

Buzz Aldrin:

My first words of my impression of being on the surface of the Moon that just came to my mind was “Magnificent desolation.” The magnificence of human beings, humanity, Planet Earth, maturing the technologies, imagination and courage to expand our capabilities beyond the next ocean, to dream about being on the Moon, and then taking advantage of increases in technology and carrying out that dream – achieving that is magnificent testimony to humanity. But it is also desolate – there is no place on earth as desolate as what I was viewing in those first moments on the Lunar Surface. Because I realized what I was looking at, towards the horizon and in every direction, had not changed in hundreds, thousands of years. Beyond me I could see the moon curving away – no atmosphere, black sky. Cold. Colder than anyone could experience on Earth when the sun is up- but when the sun is up for 14 days, it gets very, very hot. No sign of life whatsoever. That is desolate. More desolate than any place on Earth.”

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Question:

Our nation and our world have been waiting for another monumental achievement by humanity ever since you were a pioneer in the space race and set foot on the Moon. For lack of any serious government effort, I’m rooting for Elon Musk to accomplish this by sending man to Mars. What advice would you give Elon to achieve the ultimate objective of permanence on Mars?

Buzz Aldrin:

There is very little doubt, in my mind, that what the next monumental achievement of humanity will be the first landing by an Earthling, a human being, on the planet Mars. And I expect that within 2 decades of the 5th anniversary of the first landing on the moon, that within 2 decades America will lead an international presence on Planet Mars. Some people may be rooting for Elon – I think he could, with his SpaceX, contribute considerably, enormously, to an international activity not only at the moon but also on Mars. I have considered whether a landing on Mars could be done by the private sector. It conflicts with my very strong idea, concept, conviction, that the first human beings to land on Mars should not come back to Earth. They should be the beginning of a build-up of a colony / settlement, I call it a “permanence.” A settlement you can visit once or twice, come back, and then decide you want to settle. Same with a colony. But you want it to be permanent from the get-go, from the very first. I know that many people don’t feel that that should be done. Some people even consider it distinctly a suicide mission. Not me! Not at all. Because we will plan, we will construct from the moon of Mars, over a period of 6-7 years, the landing of different objects at the landing site that will be brought together to form a complete Mars habitat and laboratory, similar to what has been done at the Moon. Tourism trips to Mars and back are just not the appropriate way for human beings from Earth – to have an individual company, no matter how smart, send people to mars and bring them back, it is VERY very expensive. It delays the obtaining of permanence, internationally. Your question referred to a monumental achievement by humanity – that should not be one private company at all, it should be a collection of the best from all the countries on Earth, and the leader of the nation or the groups who makes a commitment to do that in 2 decades will be remembered throughout history, hundreds and thousands of years in the future of the history of humanity, beginning, commencing, a human occupation of the solar system.

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“I Think It Reminds Us That There Really Are Hazards In The Space Business”

October 3, 2013 in Excerpts, Film, Science/Tech, Videos | Permalink

Buzz Aldrin, a great astronaut, sure, but more complex than just stoicism stuffed into a spacesuit, guest reviews Alfonso Cuarón’s Gravity for the Hollywood Reporter. An excerpt:

“I was so extravagantly impressed by the portrayal of the reality of zero gravity. Going through the space station was done just the way that I’ve seen people do it in reality. The spinning is going to happen — maybe not quite that vigorous — but certainly we’ve been fortunate that people haven’t been in those situations yet. I think it reminds us that there really are hazards in the space business, especially in activities outside the spacecraft.

I was happy to see someone moving around the spacecraft the way George Clooney was. It really points out the degree of confusion and bumping into people, and when the tether gets caught, you’re going to be pulled — I think the simulation of the dynamics was remarkable.

We were probably not as lighthearted as Clooney and Sandra Bullock. We didn’t tell too many jokes when people were in some position of jeopardy outside the spacecraft, but I think that’s the humanity coming through in the characters. This movie gave great clarity to looking down and seeing the features of Earth … but there weren’t enough clouds, and maybe there was too precise a delineation from space.”

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“Thirty-Five Years Later, It’s The Only Apollo Science Experiment Still Running”

February 16, 2012 in Excerpts, Science/Tech | Permalink

From “What Neil & Buzz Left on the Moon,” on NASA’s official site:

“The most famous thing Neil Armstrong left on the moon 35 years ago is a footprint, a boot-shaped depression in the gray moondust. Millions of people have seen pictures of it, and one day, years from now, lunar tourists will flock to the Sea of Tranquility to see it in person. Peering over the rails … “hey, mom, is that the first one?”

Will anyone notice, 100 feet away, something else Armstrong left behind?

Ringed by footprints, sitting in the moondust, lies a 2-foot wide panel studded with 100 mirrors pointing at Earth: the ‘lunar laser ranging retroreflector array.’ Apollo 11 astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong put it there on July 21, 1969, about an hour before the end of their final moonwalk. Thirty-five years later, it’s the only Apollo science experiment still running.

University of Maryland physics professor Carroll Alley was the project’s principal investigator during the Apollo years, and he follows its progress today. ‘Using these mirrors,’ explains Alley, ‘we can ‘ping’ the moon with laser pulses and measure the Earth-moon distance very precisely. This is a wonderful way to learn about the moon’s orbit and to test theories of gravity.’

Here’s how it works: A laser pulse shoots out of a telescope on Earth, crosses the Earth-moon divide, and hits the array. Because the mirrors are ‘corner-cube reflectors,’ they send the pulse straight back where it came from. ‘It’s like hitting a ball into the corner of a squash court,’ explains Alley. Back on Earth, telescopes intercept the returning pulse–‘usually just a single photon,’ he marvels.”

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