“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 former astronaut, aeronautical engineer, and fighter pilot

Buzz Aldrin is an American former astronaut, aeronautical engineer, and fighter pilot. He is known for being the second person to walk on the Moon, following mission commander Neil Armstrong. Aldrin served as the pilot of NASA’s Gemini 12 mission in 1966, during which he made three spacewalks. He later flew as the Lunar Module Eagle pilot on Apollo 11 in 1969. He is now the last surviving member of that crew and the oldest living astronaut.