Biography of Edwin Aldrin

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January 20, 1930 Edwin Eugene ' Buzz ' Aldrin, Jr. Is the second man, after Neil Armstrong, who stepped onto the lunar surface thanks to the American Mission Apollo 11. Some of his famous and historical images taken by my colleague remained that predates the landing, such as one where Buzz descends the ladder of the lunar module "Eagle", or the "first floor", in which the Moon, dark Intergalactic Space and American flag reflected on his helmet visor. The bold astronaut was born on January 20, 1930 in Montclair, New Jersey (United States). Graduated from Montclair High School, Montclair, New Jersey; He holds a Bachelor of science in 1951 the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, being third in her class; He later obtained a doctorate of Astronautical Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge. The thesis he wrote bore the title: "command for manned orbital Rendezvous". Later, thanks to his heroic feat, Aldrin has received honorary degrees from six different colleges and universities. Buzz Aldrin went to the third group of astronauts named by NASA in October 1963. Before joining NASA, Aldrin flew 66 combat missions flying F-86 while on duty in Korea. At Nellis Air Force Base, in Nevada, he instead served as instructor of air combat. Later it passed to the Air Force Academy as pilot of F-100 in Bitburg, Germany. After receiving his doctorate at MIT, was assigned to the Gemini Target Office of the Air Force Space Systems Division in Los Angeles. The November 11, 1966, Aldrin and the pilot Commander James Lovell were launched into space on the shuttle Gemini 12 four-day flight that successfully closed the Gemini program. Aldrin set a new record of extravehicular activity (EVA), spending 5.5 hours outside the shuttle. After these first and important experiences in space, he just served as lunar module pilot of Apollo 11 and between 16 and July 23, 1969, he was part of the first manned mission to land on the moon. Aldrin followed Neil Armstrong on the Moon's surface on July 20, 1969, carrying out 2 hours and 15 minutes of Lunar walk (complete with scientific surveys in the field. As that relating to the measurement of the solar wind, immortalized in another famous photograph). In July 1971 Aldrin retired permanently from NASA. Making a summary of his overall space activities, amazing data emerge, if you think it spent a total of 289 hours and 53 minutes in space, of which 7 hours and 52 minutes spent in spacewalks. In March 1972, Aldrin also resigned from active duty in the Air Force, after twenty-one years of service (in which, among other things, during the war of Korea, shot down two enemy planes MIG 15), as well as from his position as Commander of the USAF Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base. In that same year, he wrote an autobiography entitled "back to the land". But Aldrin wrote a second a second book, this one devoted exclusively to the Apollo program, significantly titled "man on Earth". Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin received for services performed in the name of progress and scientific uomano, numerous decorations and honors, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1969, the Robert j. Collier Trophy, the Robert h. Goddard Memorial Trophy and in 1969 and the Harmon International Trophy in 1967. The famous astronaut, now very elderly, is married and has three children (j. Michael, born on September 2, 1955; Janice r., born August 16, 1957; Andrew j., born on June 17, 1958).