As the massive Orion spacecraft crept toward the launch pad this week, the four astronauts tasked with returning humanity to the Moon did something unexpected. They didn’t just look forward to the lunar horizon; they looked back at the man who paved the way.
This week at the Kennedy Space Center, the air was thick with the kind of tension and excitement not felt since the late 1960s. The Artemis II crew – Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen – were undergoing final training at Launch Pad 39B. But as the clock struck a specific hour on January 20, the drills stopped.
The crew paused to record a heartfelt video message for Buzz Aldrin, who was celebrating his 96th birthday. It wasn’t just a PR stunt; it was a profound moment of “camaraderie across generations.”
The Living Library of the Moon
Buzz Aldrin is now the oldest living astronaut. Of the twelve men who walked on the lunar surface, only four remain: Aldrin, David Scott (Apollo 15), Charles Duke (Apollo 16), and Harrison Schmitt (Apollo 17).
At 96, Aldrin has become more than a retired pilot; he is the “spiritual commander” of the Artemis program. The Artemis crew has frequently spoken about the “bag of wisdom” they’ve inherited from the Apollo veterans – lessons that aren’t found in flight manuals, but in the shared experience of seeing the Earth shrink to the size of a marble.
A Message from the Pad
Standing near the base of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket – a behemoth that echoes the power of the Saturn V – Christina Koch reflected on what Buzz’s generation taught them. “They taught us about true camaraderie,” she noted, highlighting that the bond between those who leave the planet is unbreakable by time or age.
The message sent to Buzz was a “thank you” for his persistence. Even in a year marked by personal tragedy-following the loss of his wife, Anca Faur, and his long-time friend Jim Lovell – Aldrin has remained NASA’s most vocal cheerleader. He hasn’t just been a spectator; he has been pushing the Artemis crew to look beyond the Moon, toward Mars.
Why This Matters Now?
For decades, the Apollo missions felt like a closed chapter of history. But as Buzz enters his 97th year, the “Passing of the Torch” is finally complete. The Orion spacecraft currently sitting at Pad 39B represents the first time since 1972 that a human-rated vehicle is prepared to take people back to deep space.
When the Artemis II crew finally splashes down after their lunar flyby, they will join the most elite club in the universe – a club where Buzz Aldrin still holds the door open.
As Buzz prepares for his own “next giant leap”- a move to Southern California to be closer to his family – his legacy is literally standing on the launch pad, ready to fire. The message from the Artemis crew was clear: They aren’t just going back to the Moon; they are taking Buzz’s spirit with them.
