“The purpose of going to Mars is for humans to first begin to occupy, permanently, another planet in the solar system. The astronauts or pilgrims, whatever you might call them, are going to be very historically unique human beings.”

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.