Buzz Aldrin is a famous former American astronaut who is also an engineer and a fighter pilot who was the second man to walk on the moon after Neil Armstrong, who was the first and mission commander for that project. Buzz, as an astronaut, made three spacewalks.
Early Life
Buzz Aldrin was born on January 20, 1930, as Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr. Buzz was born in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, in the United States of America. He is the son of his father, Edwin Eugene Aldrin Sr., who was an Army aviator during World War I, and his mother, Marion Aldrin, who lived in the neighborhood of Montclair. He has two sisters named Madeleine and Fay-Ann.
As a student, Buzz attended Montclair High School, after which he attended Severn School in 1946 and entered West Point in 1947. Buzz graduated on June 5, 1951, with a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from the United States Military Academy, where he was third in his class. After that, he attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and graduated in 1963.
Career
In 1962, Buzz Aldrin’s first application to become a NASA astronaut was rejected because he wasn’t a test pilot. However, he didn’t give up. When NASA opened another round of selection on May 15, 1963, he applied again.
By then, he had over 2,500 hours of flight experience, including 2,200 hours in jet aircraft. His skill and determination paid off when he was chosen as one of fourteen astronauts in NASA’s Astronaut Group 3, announced on October 18, 1963.
Later, he and Jim Lovell were assigned as the backup crew for the Gemini 10 mission, where Buzz served as pilot. Unfortunately, an air crash claimed the lives of the original crew members, and as a result, Buzz and Lovell were promoted to the prime crew on June 17, 1966, along with Gordon Cooper and Gene Cernan.
Fame
On November 11, 1966, Gemini 12 was launched from Launch Complex 19 at Cape Canaveral, and its main mission was to rendezvous with the target vehicle. Buzz Aldrin used a sextant and rendezvous chart, which helped create and give the right information to Lovell. Gemini 12 achieved the fourth docking with an Agena target vehicle.
Buzz and Lovell were assigned to an Apollo program with Commander Neil Armstrong, where Lovell was the Command Module Pilot and Buzz was a Lunar Module Pilot. Due to the delay in manufacturing and design of the Lunar Module, Apollo 8 and Apollo 9’s crews were swapped, and Neil Armstrong became the commander of Apollo 11.
After the success of Apollo 11, where Buzz took pictures and researched the moon, he was kept busy giving speeches and making public appearances, after which, in 1970, he joined Soviet cosmonauts on their tour of NASA Space Centers.
Buzz Aldrin Biography |
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| Real Name | Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr |
| Birth Date | January 20, 1930 |
| Age (as of 2025) | 95 Years |
| Birthplace | Glen Ridge, New Jersey, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Profession | Engineer & a Former Astronaut as well as a Fighter Pilot |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Sun sign | Aquarius |
Physical Statistics |
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| Height | in feet inches—5’ 10”—in centimeters – 178cm |
| Weight | in Kilograms – 71 kg – in Pounds – 156 lbs |
| Hair Color | Grey |
| Eye Color | Blue |
| Body Type | Slim |
Family |
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| Father | Edwin Eugene Aldrin Sr. |
| Mother | Marion Aldrin |
| Sister | Two (Fay Ann & Madeleine Aldrin) |
| Brother | – |
Qualification/Education |
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| School | Montclair High School |
| College | United States Military Academy, Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Relationship Status |
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| Marital Status | In Relation |
| Who was his wife? | Anca Faur |
| Children | Three (Janice, Andrew & James Aldrin) |
Personal Life
Buzz Aldrin was married to Joan Archer in 1954, but they separated in 1974, after which he married his second wife, Beverly Van Zile, in 1975. He divorced his second wife in 1978 and married Lois Driggs Cannon in 1988 but ended up breaking their marriage in 2012.
Relationship with Anca Faur
Buzz Aldrin met Anca Faur at a work event in December 2017, and they connected right away. Their friendship soon turned into love, and by May 2018, they began dating. They shared a passion for science and space, which brought them even closer.
Anca later joined Buzz Aldrin Ventures LLC as the Executive Vice President, working side by side with him. On January 20, 2023, Aldrin’s 93rd birthday, they got married in a small, private ceremony filled with joy and love. Buzz often called her “the love of my life” and admired her for her kindness, strength, and intelligence.
They enjoyed attending events together and supported each other in every way. When Anca passed away on October 28, 2025, at 66, it left a deep sadness in Aldrin’s heart. She will always be remembered for her warmth, dedication, and the happiness she brought into his life.
Buzz Aldrin Net worth
As a former astronaut, Buzz has an estimated net worth of $14 million USD even after his retirement in 1971. Buzz still gets paid after his retirement for risking his life in the name of space and exploration, which included base pay, quarters, subsistence allowance, and even flight pay.
Trivia
- Buzz Aldrin is known to be the first man to urinate on the moon.
- He was a Boy Scout, achieving the rank of Tenderfoot Scout.
- He was also a member of the field and track team in school.
- Buzz is also known as Dr. Rendezvous.
- Buzz has won many awards, like the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, the Distinguished Flying Cross Medal, the Air Medal, and the President Medal of Freedom.
- Buzz has won medals as an astronaut, like the NASA Distinguished Service Medal and NASA’s Exceptional Service Medal.
- During Buzz’s NASA career, he spent 289 hours and 53 minutes in space, out of which 7 hours and 52 minutes were in EVA.
