To mark the 47th anniversary of man's first steps on the Moon, the Kennedy Space Center hosted the Apollo 11 Anniversary Gala with Buzz Aldrin, the second man to set foot on the moon.
- Buzz Aldrin shares memories of mission, Neil Armstrong
- Aldrin believes Moon missions inspire future steps in space travel
More than 600 million people around the world witnessed the television broadcast of the moon landing in 1969.
Forty-seven years later, Aldrin shared with us some of his memories about the historic moonwalk with Neil Armstrong.
“I sent the camera down to him so he could take pictures of me when I came down," Aldrin said.
Going where no man had gone before, the crew of the Apollo 11 gathered samples, and left behind footprints and the American flag.
“It was easier to move around than we thought it would be," Aldrin said.
The astronauts made history for many reasons.
“Somebody can have the first step on the moon, but I got the first pee on the moon," Aldrin said.
To date, no one has disputed this fact.
But all kidding aside, Aldrin said those small steps on the moon continue to provide inspiration for future space travel. Mars is the next mission, and Aldrin said the moon could be essential for further exploration.
“Refueling on the surface of the moon - not somewhere in space," he said.
But in order to plan more missions to the farthest reaches, Aldrin said we need to invest more into education for future generations.
For that reason, he created the ShareSpace Foundation, a nonprofit that supports STEM education in schools.
For more information about the Share Space Foundation, visit web.sharespace.org.