“As we reflect back upon the tragic loss of Challenger and her brave crew of heroes who were aboard that fateful day, I am reminded that they truly represented the best of us, as they climbed aloft on a plume of propellant gasses, reaching for the stars, to inspire us who were Earthbound.”

American astronaut and engineer of the Apollo era, Buzz Aldrin is best known as the second person to walk on the Moon during the Apollo 11 mission in 1969. His career spans pioneering spaceflight, engineering, and advocacy for space exploration, as well as later work as an author and public speaker on science and human achievement.