Page 47 - BBC Sky at Night - September 2017 UK

BUZZ ALDRIN SEPTEMBER 47

recently at the White House, standing alongside
President Donald Trump as he signed an executive
order re-establishing the National Space Council
after its 24-year hiatus, but he’s not getting too
carried away with that decision. “I don’t expect
the Space Council to fundamentally change the
US space programme by itself. But it will really
become critical if the administration decides to
fundamentally rethink major aspects of our
civil and national space programmes,” says
Aldrin. That’s what he’s hoping for.
Aldrin will be keeping a close watch on
what President Trump says on 24 July 2019
when the world marks 50 years since Aldrin
and Neil Armstrong set foot on the Moon.
“I’m personally very committed to the idea
that the President should, and indeed must,
announce a major US commitment to Mars
of the Saturn V rocket, briefed NASA’s Space Task Þ SpaceX is one of permanence by the 50th anniversary,” he
Group just after the Moon landings on a plan to the private companies says. “It’s essential to force us to make the
land two expedition spacecraft on Mars in 1982. working on plans to hard choices we must make in order to get
“Werner von Braun’s vision of Mars exploration send humans to Mars to Mars in the next 20 years.” S
was a tremendous inspiration to many of us,” says
Aldrin. “But von Braun was really interested in
using very large rockets. I think we can get to Mars ABOUT THE WRITER
without the same reliance on state-developed and Jamie Carter is the author of
A Stargazing Program for
operated rockets.” Aldrin’s plan also differs from
Beginners: A Pocket Field
Von Braun’s in its level of reusability.
Guide and edits
Ambitious space exploration plans always WhenIsTheNextEclipse.com
come with a huge caveat: politics. Aldrin was

A RED CARPET FOR THE RED PLANET

How Aldrin is using his lunar legacy to help the next generation get to Mars

Þ The 2017 Apollo 11 Anniversary Gala Þ From left: Walt Cunningham, Michael Collins, Þ Funds raised at the gala will go to projects
took place underneath a Saturn V rocket Buzz Aldrin and Harrison ‘Jack’ Schmitt including the Giant Mars Map school tours
Although Aldrin thinks that landing on Mars Foundation’s educational projects. One of those Aldrin was joined on stage at the gala by
would be a far greater achievement than the projects is the Giant Mars Map, a 8x8m map of Apollo 11 command module pilot General
Apollo 11 landing, he knows the lunar mission the Martian surface, with the landing sites of all Michael Collins, in a rare public appearance,
he took part in still gets space fans excited. Mars rover missions marked upon it. It’s already as well as Walt Cunningham (Apollo 7),
So in July, his ShareSpace Foundation staged being taken around schools to inspire the next Harrison ‘Jack’ Schmitt (Apollo 17) and
an Apollo 11 Anniversary Gala at the generation to aim for Mars. Jeff Bezos, founder of Blue Origin. Bezos
Kennedy Space Center in Florida to raise The money was raised through ticket sales collected a Buzz Aldrin Space Innovation
funds for children’s education projects. and auctions. Aldrin sold a signed, framed Award for his work on reusable rockets.
It was the first event of a three-year sample of Kapton foil from the Apollo 11 The event also saw the launch of the
fundraising campaign that builds towards the Command Module for $4,500 (£3,400). Buzz Aldrin Space Foundation (BASF)
50th anniversary of Apollo 11 in 2019, when But perhaps the most impressive lot was a First by his son Andrew. “Somewhere out
Aldrin hopes the US will commit to a manned Day Cover signed by all three Apollo 11 Crew there tonight is a kid who will be the first
Mars mission. The event raised almost members that had flown to the surface of the human on Mars,” he said. “She just
$200,000 (£152,000) for the ShareSpace Moon. It fetched $42,500 (£32,400). doesn’t know it yet.”

skyatnightmagazine.com 2017