EXCLUSIVE: Buzz Aldrin wants to go back to the moon — as a first step to putting settlers on Mars
Dr. Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin is on an urgent mission: Get man back to the moon, and fast.
And Aldrin isn’t afraid to ruffle feathers to advocate for what he sees as America’s next big leap.
On the eve of the 50th anniversary of Aldrin’s becoming the second man to walk on the moon as part of the Apollo 11 lunar mission, the 89-year-old sat down with the Washington Examiner in his Washington, D.C. office to talk about his vision for America’s next 50 years in space.
That starts with going back to the moon.
“Neil’s statement — ‘one small step’ and ‘a giant leap’ — well, we haven’t really had that giant leap yet,” said Aldrin, referring to Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon. “As far as a major program after Apollo, we haven’t seen anything that would come under the category of a giant leap.”
The U.S., he said, shouldn’t stop at the moon, though it’s an important first step. He wants to see the U.S. send a new generation of Pilgrims to space, as permanent settlers on Mars.
