Editing Buzz Aldrin (section)

== NASA career ==
Aldrin initially applied to join the astronaut corps when NASA's [[Astronaut Group 2]] was selected in 1962. His application was rejected on the grounds that he was not a test pilot. Aldrin was aware of the requirement and asked for a waiver but the request was turned down.{{sfn|Burgess|2013|p=203}} On May 15, 1963, NASA announced another round of selections, this time with the requirement that applicants had either test pilot experience or 1,000 hours of flying time in jet aircraft.{{sfn|Burgess|2013|p=199}} Aldrin had over 2,500 hours of flying time, of which 2,200 was in jets.{{sfn|Burgess|2013|p=285}} His selection as one of fourteen members of NASA's [[Astronaut Group 3]] was announced on October 18, 1963.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.jsc.nasa.gov/history/roundups/issues/63-10-30.pdf |title=14 New Astronauts Introduced at Press Conference |publisher=NASA |date=October 30, 1963|access-date=April 13, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170417065923/https://www.jsc.nasa.gov/history/roundups/issues/63-10-30.pdf |archive-date=April 17, 2017}}</ref> This made him the first astronaut with a doctoral degree which, combined with his expertise in orbital mechanics, earned him the nickname "Dr. Rendezvous" from his fellow astronauts.{{sfn|Chaikin|2007|p=143}}<ref>{{cite interview |url=http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/history/oral_histories/BostickJC/BostickJC_2-23-00.htm |date=February 23, 2000 |last=Bostick |first=Jerry C. |interviewer=Carol Butler |publisher=NASA Johnson Space Center Oral History Project|access-date=December 10, 2016 |title=Jerry C. Bostick Oral History}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |work=NBC News |url=http://www.nbcnews.com/id/3077906/ns/technology_and_science-space/t/buzz-aldrin-plans-next-giant-leap/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140709020858/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/3077906/ns/technology_and_science-space/t/buzz-aldrin-plans-next-giant-leap/|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 9, 2014|access-date=December 10, 2016 |date=July 15, 1999 |title=Buzz Aldrin plans the next giant leap |author=Roger Ressmeyer}}</ref> Although Aldrin was both the most educated and the rendezvous expert in the astronaut corps,{{sfn|Collins|2001|pp=314}} he was aware that the nickname was not always intended as a compliment.{{sfn|Grier|2016|p=92}} Upon completion of initial training, each new astronaut was assigned a field of expertise; in Aldrin's case, it was mission planning, trajectory analysis, and flight plans.{{sfn|Burgess|2013|p=322}}{{sfn|Collins|2001|p=100}}

=== Gemini program ===
{{Main|Project Gemini}}

[[Jim Lovell]] and Aldrin were selected as the backup crew of [[Gemini 10]], commander and pilot respectively. Backup crews usually became the prime crew of the third following mission, but the last scheduled mission in the program was [[Gemini 12]].{{sfn|Hansen|2005|p=357}} The February 28, 1966, deaths of the [[Gemini 9]] prime crew, [[Elliot See]] and [[Charles Bassett]], in an [[1966 NASA T-38 crash|air crash]], led to Lovell and Aldrin being moved up one mission to backup for Gemini 9, which put them in position as prime crew for Gemini 12.{{sfn|Hacker|Grimwood|1974|pp=323–325}}{{sfn|Chaikin|2007|p=51}} They were designated its prime crew on June 17, 1966, with [[Gordon Cooper]] and [[Gene Cernan]] as their backups.{{sfn|Hacker|Grimwood|1974|p=354}}

==== Gemini 12 ====
{{Main|Gemini 12}}
[[File:S66-63536.jpg|thumb|right|Aldrin stands in space while orbiting Earth in the [[Gemini 12]] spacecraft.|alt=Astronaut performing EVA]]
Initially, Gemini 12's mission objectives were uncertain. As the last scheduled mission, it was primarily intended to complete tasks that had not been successfully or fully carried out on earlier missions.{{sfn|Hacker|Grimwood|1974|pp=370–371}} While NASA had successfully performed rendezvous during Project Gemini, the [[gravity-gradient stabilization]] test on [[Gemini 11]] was unsuccessful. NASA also had concerns about [[extravehicular activity]] (EVA). Cernan on Gemini{{nbsp}}9 and [[Richard F. Gordon Jr.|Richard Gordon]] on Gemini{{nbsp}}11 had suffered from fatigue carrying out tasks during EVA, but [[Michael Collins (astronaut)|Michael Collins]] had a successful EVA on Gemini 10, which suggested that the order in which he had performed his tasks was an important factor.{{sfn|Reichl|2016|pp=137–138}}{{sfn|Hacker|Grimwood|1974|pp=372–373}}

It therefore fell to Aldrin to complete Gemini's EVA goals. NASA formed a committee to give him a better chance of success. It dropped the test of the Air Force's astronaut maneuvering unit (AMU) that had given Gordon trouble on Gemini{{nbsp}}11 so Aldrin could focus on EVA. NASA revamped the training program, opting for underwater training over [[parabolic flight]]. Aircraft flying a parabolic trajectory had given astronauts an experience of weightlessness in training, but there was a delay between each parabola which gave astronauts several minutes of rest. It also encouraged performing tasks quickly, whereas in space they had to be done slowly and deliberately. Training in a viscous, buoyant fluid gave a better simulation. NASA also placed additional handholds on the capsule, which were increased from nine on Gemini{{nbsp}}9 to 44 on Gemini{{nbsp}}12, and created workstations where he could anchor his feet.{{sfn|Reichl|2016|pp=137–138}}{{sfn|Hacker|Grimwood|1974|pp=372–373}}

[[File:GPN-2000-001420.jpg|thumb|left|Aldrin next to the [[Agena Target Vehicle|Agena]] work station in November 1966|alt=Astronaut performing EVA]]
Gemini 12's main objectives were to rendezvous with a target vehicle, and fly the spacecraft and target vehicle together using gravity-gradient stabilization, perform docked maneuvers using the Agena propulsion system to change orbit, conduct a tethered stationkeeping exercise and three EVAs, and demonstrate an automatic reentry. Gemini{{nbsp}}12 also carried 14 scientific, medical, and technological experiments.<ref name="nssdc">{{cite web |url=https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1966-104A |title=Gemini 12 |publisher=NASA Space Science Data Coordinated Archive |access-date=August 9, 2017 }}</ref> It was not a trailblazing mission; rendezvous from above had already been successfully performed by Gemini 9, and the tethered vehicle exercise by Gemini 11. Even gravity-gradient stabilization had been attempted by Gemini 11, albeit unsuccessfully.{{sfn|Hacker|Grimwood|1974|pp=372–373}}

Gemini{{nbsp}}12 was launched from [[Launch Complex 19]] at [[Cape Canaveral]] on 20:46 UTC<!-- Do not change dates/times for space and launch events, see FAQ --> on November 11, 1966. The [[Gemini Agena Target Vehicle]] had been launched about an hour and a half before.<ref name="nssdc" /> The mission's first major objective was to rendezvous with this target vehicle. As the target and Gemini{{nbsp}}12 capsule drew closer together, radar contact between the two deteriorated until it became unusable, forcing the crew to rendezvous manually. Aldrin used a [[sextant]] and rendezvous charts he helped create to give Lovell the right information to put the spacecraft in position to dock with the target vehicle.{{sfn|Chaikin|2007|p=140}} Gemini{{nbsp}}12 achieved the fourth [[Docking and berthing of spacecraft|docking]] with an Agena target vehicle.{{sfn|Hacker|Grimwood|1974|pp=375–376}}

The next task was to practice undocking and docking again. On undocking, one of the three latches caught, and Lovell had to use the Gemini's thrusters to free the spacecraft. Aldrin then docked again successfully a few minutes later. The flight plan then called for the Agena main engine to be fired to take the docked spacecraft into a higher orbit, but eight minutes after the Agena had been launched, it had suffered a loss of chamber pressure. The Mission and Flight Directors therefore decided not to risk the main engine. This would be the only mission objective that was not achieved.{{sfn|Hacker|Grimwood|1974|pp=375–376}} Instead, the Agena's secondary propulsion system was used to allow the spacecraft to view the [[solar eclipse of November 12, 1966]], over South America, which Lovell and Aldrin photographed through the spacecraft windows.<ref name="nssdc" />
[[File:Gemini 12 recovery.jpg|thumb|right|Aldrin and [[Jim Lovell]] arrive on the aircraft carrier {{USS|Wasp|CV-18|6}} after the Gemini{{nbsp}}12 mission.|alt=Astronauts in spacesuits exiting helicopter on aircraft carrier]]
Aldrin performed three EVAs. The first was a standup EVA on November 12, in which the spacecraft door was opened and he stood up, but did not leave the spacecraft. The standup EVA mimicked some of the actions he would do during his free-flight EVA, so he could compare the effort expended between the two. It set an EVA record of two hours and twenty minutes. The next day Aldrin performed his free-flight EVA. He climbed across the newly installed hand-holds to the Agena and installed the cable needed for the gravity-gradient stabilization experiment. Aldrin performed numerous tasks, including installing electrical connectors and testing tools that would be needed for [[Project Apollo]]. A dozen two-minute rest periods prevented him from becoming fatigued. His second EVA concluded after two hours and six minutes. A third, 55-minute standup EVA was conducted on November 14, during which Aldrin took photographs, conducted experiments, and discarded some unneeded items.<ref name="nssdc" />{{sfn|Reichl|2016|pp=141–142}}

On November 15, the crew initiated the automatic reentry system and [[splashdown|splashed down]] in the Atlantic Ocean, where they were picked up by a helicopter, which took them to the awaiting aircraft carrier {{USS|Wasp|CV-18|6}}.<ref name="nssdc" />{{sfn|Reichl|2016|p=142}} After the mission, his wife realized he had fallen into a depression, something she had not seen before.{{sfn|Chaikin|2007|p=140}}

=== Apollo program ===
{{Main|Apollo program}}
Lovell and Aldrin were assigned to an Apollo crew with [[Neil Armstrong]] as commander, Lovell as command module pilot (CMP), and Aldrin as lunar module pilot (LMP). Their assignment as the backup crew of [[Apollo 9]] was announced on November 20, 1967.{{sfn|Brooks|Grimwood|Swenson|1979|p=374}} Due to design and manufacturing delays in the lunar module (LM), [[Apollo 8]] and Apollo{{nbsp}}9 swapped prime and backup crews, and Armstrong's crew became the backup for Apollo 8. Under the normal crew rotation scheme, Armstrong was expected to command [[Apollo 11]].{{sfn|Hansen|2005|pp=312–313}}

[[File:Neil (left) watches Buzz take a documentary photo of a sample.jpg|thumb|left|Aldrin photographs a geological specimen while [[Neil Armstrong]] looks on.|alt=Aldrin and Armstrong performing geological training in desert]]
Michael Collins, the CMP on the Apollo{{nbsp}}8 prime crew, required surgery to remove a bone spur on his spine.{{sfn|Collins|2001|pp=288–289}} Lovell took his place on the Apollo{{nbsp}}8 crew. When Collins recovered he joined Armstrong's crew as CMP. In the meantime, [[Fred Haise]] filled in as backup LMP, and Aldrin as backup CMP for Apollo 8.{{sfn|Cunningham|2010|p=109}} While the CMP usually occupied the center couch on launch, Aldrin occupied it rather than Collins, as he had already been trained to operate its console on liftoff before Collins arrived.{{sfn|Collins|2001|p=359}}

Apollo{{nbsp}}11 was the second American space mission made up entirely of astronauts who had already flown in space,{{sfn|Orloff|2000|p=90}} the first being [[Apollo 10]].{{sfn|Orloff|2000|p=72}} The next would not be flown until [[STS-26]] in 1988.{{sfn|Orloff|2000|p=90}} [[Deke Slayton]], who was responsible for astronaut flight assignments, gave Armstrong the option to replace Aldrin with Lovell, since some thought Aldrin was difficult to work with. Armstrong thought it over for a day before declining. He had no issues working with Aldrin, and thought Lovell deserved his own command.{{sfn|Hansen|2005|pp=338–339}}

Early versions of the EVA checklist had the lunar module pilot as the first to step onto the lunar surface. However, when Aldrin learned that this might be amended, he lobbied within NASA for the original procedure to be followed. Multiple factors contributed to the final decision, including the physical positioning of the astronauts within the compact lunar lander, which made it easier for Armstrong to be the first to exit the spacecraft. Furthermore, there was little support for Aldrin's views among senior astronauts who would command later Apollo missions.{{sfn|Chaikin|2007|p=148}} Collins has commented that he thought Aldrin "resents not being first on the Moon more than he appreciates being second".{{sfn|Collins|2001|p=60}}
Aldrin and Armstrong did not have time to perform much geological training. The first lunar landing focused more on landing on the Moon and making it safely back to Earth than the scientific aspects of the mission. The duo was briefed by NASA and [[USGS]] geologists. They made one geological field trip to [[West Texas]]. The press followed them, and a helicopter made it hard for Aldrin and Armstrong to hear their instructor.{{sfn|Chaikin|2007|p=179}}

==== Apollo 11 ====

{{Main|Apollo 11}}
On the morning of July 16, 1969, an estimated one million spectators watched the launch of Apollo{{nbsp}}11 from the highways and beaches in the vicinity of [[Cape Canaveral]], Florida. The launch was televised live in 33 countries, with an estimated 25 million viewers in the United States alone. Millions more listened to radio broadcasts.{{sfn|Bilstein|1980|pp=369–370}}{{sfn|Benson|Faherty|1978|p=474}} Propelled by a [[Saturn V]] rocket, Apollo{{nbsp}}11 lifted off from [[Launch Complex 39]] at the [[Kennedy Space Center]] on July 16, 1969, at 13:32:00 [[UTC]] (9:32:00 [[Eastern Daylight Time|EDT]]),<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/apollo/missions/apollo11.html |title=Apollo 11 Mission Overview |publisher=NASA |date=December 21, 2017 |last1=Loff |first1=Sarah|access-date=January 13, 2019}}</ref> and entered Earth orbit twelve minutes later. After one and a half orbits, the [[S-IVB]] third-stage engine pushed the spacecraft onto its trajectory toward the Moon. About thirty minutes later, the [[transposition, docking, and extraction]] maneuver was performed: this involved separating the [[Apollo command module|command module]] [[Command Module Columbia|''Columbia'']] from the spent S-IVB stage; turning around; and docking with, and extracting, the [[Lunar Module Eagle|lunar module ''Eagle'']]. The combined spacecraft then headed for the Moon, while the S-IVB stage continued on a trajectory past the Moon.{{sfn|Orloff|2000|pp=102–110}}

[[File:Aldrin Apollo 11 original.jpg|thumb|left|Aldrin walks on the surface of the Moon during Apollo 11. Photograph by Neil Armstrong, who can be seen reflected in Aldrin's visor.|alt=Aldrin stands on the Moon. Armstrong and the [[Lunar Module Eagle|Lunar Module ''Eagle'']] are reflected in his visor.]][[File:AP11 FINAL APPROACH.ogv|thumb|Aldrin calls out speeds in feet per second and distances in feet as Armstrong pilots [[Lunar Module Eagle|''Eagle'']] to its lunar landing, establishing [[Tranquility Base]], July 20, 1969.]][[File:938-AAG-Trimmed.wav|thumb|left|Aldrin's first words after he set foot on the Moon]]
On July 19 at 17:21:50 UTC, Apollo{{nbsp}}11 passed behind the Moon and fired its service propulsion engine to enter [[lunar orbit]].{{sfn|Orloff|2000|pp=102–110}} In the thirty orbits that followed,<ref name="Apollo-11 (27)">{{cite web |url=http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/history/apollo/apollo-11/apollo-11.html |title=Apollo-11 (27) |work=Historical Archive for Manned Missions |publisher=NASA |access-date=June 13, 2013}}</ref> the crew saw passing views of their landing site in the southern [[Sea of Tranquillity]] about {{convert|12|mi|km}} southwest of the crater [[Collins (crater)|Sabine D]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a11/A11_PressKit.pdf |title=Apollo 11 Lunar Landing Mission |date=July 6, 1969 |publisher=NASA |location=Washington, D.C. |type=Press kit |id=Release No: 69-83K |access-date=June 13, 2013}}</ref> At 12:52:00 UTC on July 20, Aldrin and Armstrong entered ''Eagle'', and began the final preparations for lunar descent. At 17:44:00 ''Eagle'' separated from the ''Columbia''.{{sfn|Orloff|2000|pp=102–110}} Collins, alone aboard ''Columbia'', inspected ''Eagle'' as it pirouetted before him to ensure the craft was not damaged and that the landing gear had correctly deployed.{{sfn|Manned Spacecraft Center|1969|p=9}}{{sfn|Collins|Aldrin|1975|p=209}}

Throughout the descent, Aldrin called out navigation data to Armstrong, who was busy piloting the ''Eagle''.{{sfn|Mindell|2008|p=226}} Five minutes into the descent burn, and {{convert|6000|ft|m|-2}} above the surface of the Moon, the [[Apollo Guidance Computer|LM guidance computer]] (LGC) distracted the crew with the first of several unexpected alarms that indicated that it could not complete all its tasks in real time and had to postpone some of them.{{sfn|Collins|Aldrin|1975|pp=210–212}} Due to the 1202/1201 program alarms caused by spurious rendezvous radar inputs to the LGC,<ref name=radar>
{{citation |url=http://klabs.org/history/apollo_11_alarms/eyles_2004/eyles_2004.htm |title=Tales From The Lunar Module Guidance Computer |first=Don |last=Eyles |publisher=American Astronautical Society |date=February 6, 2004 |work=27th annual Guidance and Control Conference |place=Breckenridge, Colorado}}</ref> Armstrong manually landed the ''Eagle'' instead of using the computer's autopilot. The ''Eagle'' landed at 20:17:40 UTC on Sunday July 20 with about 25 seconds of fuel left.<ref name="ALSJ 1">{{cite web |url=http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a11/a11.landing.html |title=The First Lunar Landing |date=1995 |editor-last=Jones |editor-first=Eric M. |work=Apollo 11 Lunar Surface Journal |publisher=NASA |access-date=June 13, 2013 |archive-date=December 27, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161227230604/http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a11/a11.landing.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

As a [[Presbyterian elder]], Aldrin was the first and only person to hold a religious ceremony on the Moon. He radioed Earth: "I'd like to take this opportunity to ask every person listening in, whoever and wherever they may be, to pause for a moment and contemplate the events of the past few hours, and to give thanks in his or her own way."{{sfn|Chaikin|2007|p=205}} Using a kit given to him by his pastor,{{sfn|Farmer|Hamblin|1970|p=251}} he took [[Eucharist|communion]] and read Jesus's words from the [[New Testament]]'s John 15:5, as Aldrin records it: "I am the vine. You are the branches. Whoever remains in me, and I in him, will bear much fruit; for you can do nothing without me."{{sfn|Aldrin|Abraham|2009|pp=26–27; online: https://books.google.com/books?id=Ey9qaUExkAwC&q=vine#v=snippet&f=false.}} But he kept this ceremony secret because of a lawsuit over the [[reading of Genesis on Apollo 8]].{{sfn|Chaikin|2007|p=204}} In 1970 he commented: "It was interesting to think that the very first liquid ever poured on the Moon, and the first food eaten there, were communion elements."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.guideposts.org/better-living/life-advice/finding-life-purpose/guideposts-classics-buzz-aldrin-on-communion-in-space |series=Guideposts Classics |title=Buzz Aldrin on Communion in Space |date=July 10, 2014 |orig-year=1970 |work=Guideposts |last1=Aldrin |first1=Buzz |access-date=January 21, 2019 |archive-date=April 17, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190417181815/https://www.guideposts.org/better-living/life-advice/finding-life-purpose/guideposts-classics-buzz-aldrin-on-communion-in-space |url-status=dead }}</ref>

On reflection in his 2009 book, Aldrin said, "Perhaps, if I had it to do over again, I would not choose to celebrate communion. Although it was a deeply meaningful experience for me, it was a Christian sacrament, and we had come to the moon in the name of all mankind – be they [[Christians]], [[Jews]], [[Muslims]], [[animists]], [[agnostics]], or [[atheists]]. But at the time I could think of no better way to acknowledge the enormity of the Apollo{{nbsp}}11 experience than by giving thanks to God."{{sfn|Aldrin|Abraham|2009|p=27}} Aldrin shortly hit upon a more universally human reference on the voyage back to Earth by publicly broadcasting his reading of the [[Old Testament]]'s Psalm 8:3–4, as Aldrin records: "When I considered the heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars which Thou hast ordained, what is man that Thou art mindful of him."{{sfn|Aldrin|Abraham|2009|pp=51–52; online: https://books.google.com/books?id=HRlO8_7mzH0C&vq=Psalms&pg=PA52#v.}} Photos of these liturgical documents reveal the conflict's development as Aldrin expresses faith.<ref>{{cite web |title=Buzz Aldrin – Handwritten Notes and Scriptures Flown to the Surface of the Moon |url=https://historical.ha.com/itm/autographs/celebrities/buzz-aldrin-handwritten-notes-and-scriptures-flown-to-the-surface-of-the-moon/a/669-25370.s?ic16=ViewItem |website=Heritage Auctions |access-date=July 25, 2019}}</ref>

[[File:Buzz salutes the U.S. Flag.jpg|Aldrin saluting the [[Lunar Flag Assembly]]|thumb]]
Preparations for the EVA began at 23:43.{{sfn|Orloff|2000|pp=102–110}} Once Armstrong and Aldrin were ready to go outside, ''Eagle'' was depressurized, and the hatch was opened at 02:39:33 on July 21.{{sfn|Orloff|2000|pp=102–110}}{{sfn|Cortright|1975|p=215}} Aldrin set foot on the Moon at 03:15:16 on July 21, 1969 (UTC),<!-- Do not change, see FAQ --> nineteen minutes after Armstrong first touched the surface.{{sfn|Orloff|2000|pp=102–110}} Armstrong and Aldrin became the first and second people, respectively, to walk on the Moon. Aldrin's first words after he set foot on the Moon were "Beautiful view", to which Armstrong asked "Isn't that something? Magnificent sight out here." Aldrin answered, "Magnificent desolation."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a11/a11transcript_tec.html |title=Apollo 11 Transcription |publisher=NASA |work=Apollo Lunar Surface Journal|access-date=January 13, 2019|editor-last=Schwagmeier|editor-first=Thomas}}</ref> Aldrin and Armstrong had trouble erecting the [[Lunar Flag Assembly]], but with some effort secured it into the surface. Aldrin saluted the flag while Armstrong photographed the scene. Aldrin positioned himself in front of the video camera and began experimenting with different locomotion methods to move about the lunar surface to aid future moonwalkers.{{sfn|Chaikin|2007|pp=212–213}} During these experiments, President Nixon called the duo to congratulate them on the successful landing. Nixon closed with, "Thank you very much, and all of us look forward to seeing you on the ''Hornet'' on Thursday."{{sfn|Chaikin|2007|p=215}} Aldrin replied, "I look forward to that very much, sir."{{sfn|Chaikin|2007|p=215}}{{sfn|Chaikin|2007|pp=214–215}}

After the call, Aldrin began photographing and inspecting the spacecraft to document and verify its condition before their flight. Aldrin and Armstrong then set up a [[seismometer]], to detect moonquakes, and a [[laser beam]] reflector. While Armstrong inspected a crater, Aldrin began the difficult task of hammering a metal tube into the surface to obtain a core sample.{{sfn|Chaikin|2007|pp=216–217}} Most of the iconic photographs of an astronaut on the Moon taken by the Apollo{{nbsp}}11 astronauts are of Aldrin; Armstrong appears in just two color photographs. "As the sequence of lunar operations evolved," Aldrin explained, "Neil had the camera most of the time, and the majority of the pictures taken on the Moon that include an astronaut are of me. It wasn't until we were back on Earth and in the Lunar Receiving Laboratory looking over the pictures that we realized there were few pictures of Neil. My fault perhaps, but we had never simulated this during our training."<ref name="Missing Man">{{cite magazine |magazine=The Atlantic |title=The Missing Man: There Are No Good Pictures of Neil Armstrong on the Moon |first=Rebecca J. |last=Rosen |date=August 27, 2012 |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/08/the-missing-man-there-are-no-good-pictures-of-neil-armstrong-on-the-moon/261622/ |access-date=November 10, 2018}}</ref>

Aldrin reentered ''Eagle'' first but, as he tells it, before ascending the module's ladder he became the first person to urinate on the Moon.<ref>{{cite web |first=Tibi |last=Puiu |url=https://www.zmescience.com/space/short-fact-the-first-man-to-pee-on-the-moon-buzz-aldrin/|title=Short fact: the first man to pee on the moon, Buzz Aldrin |publisher=ZME Science |date=July 20, 2011 |access-date=July 21, 2019}}</ref> With some difficulty they lifted film and two sample boxes containing {{convert|21.55|kg|lb}} of lunar surface material to the hatch using a flat cable pulley device.<ref name="ALSJ 3">{{cite web |url=http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a11/a11.summary.html |title=First Steps |date=1995 |editor1-last=Jones |editor1-first=Eric M. |editor2-last=Glover |editor2-first=Ken |work=Apollo 11 Lunar Surface Journal |publisher=NASA |access-date=September 23, 2006}}</ref> Armstrong reminded Aldrin of a bag of memorial items in his sleeve pocket, and Aldrin tossed the bag down. It contained a mission patch for the [[Apollo 1]] flight that Ed White never flew due to [[Apollo 1#Accident|his death in a cabin fire during the launch rehearsal]]; medallions commemorating [[Yuri Gagarin]], the first man in space (who had [[Death of Yuri Gagarin|died the previous year in a test flight accident]]), and [[Vladimir Komarov]], the first man to [[Soyuz 1|die in a space flight]], and a silicon disk etched with goodwill messages from 73 nations.{{sfn|Aldrin|Abraham|2009|p=41}} After transferring to LM [[life support]], the explorers lightened the ascent stage for the return to lunar orbit by tossing out their backpacks, lunar overshoes, an empty [[Hasselblad]] camera, and other equipment. The hatch was closed again at 05:01, and they repressurized the lunar module and settled down to sleep.<ref name="ALSJ 6">{{cite web |url=http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a11/a11.posteva.html |title=Trying to Rest |editor-last=Jones |editor-first=Eric M. |date=1995 |work=Apollo 11 Lunar Surface Journal |publisher=NASA |access-date=June 13, 2013}}</ref>
[[File:Buzz Aldrin's bootprint on the Moon, AS11-40-5877 (21472308758).jpg|thumb|left|Aldrin's lunar bootprint in a photo taken by him on July 21, 1969|alt=A bootprint in gray dust.]]
[[File:Earth, Moon and Lunar Module, AS11-44-6643 c.jpg|thumb|[[Lunar Module Eagle|''Eagle'']] in orbit above the Moon, photo by [[Michael Collins (astronaut)|Michael Collins]]]]
At 17:54 UTC, they lifted off in ''Eagle''{{'s}} ascent stage to rejoin Collins aboard ''Columbia'' in lunar orbit.{{sfn|Orloff|2000|pp=102–110}} After rendezvous with ''Columbia'', the ascent stage was jettisoned into lunar orbit, and ''Columbia'' made its way back to Earth.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/lunar/apollo_tables.html |title=Apollo Tables |last=Williams |first=David R. |publisher=NASA |access-date=September 23, 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061001125211/http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/lunar/apollo_tables.html |archive-date=October 1, 2006}}</ref> It splashed down in the Pacific {{convert|2660|km|nmi|abbr=on}} east of [[Wake Island]] at 16:50 UTC (05:50 local time) on July 24.{{sfn|Orloff|2000|pp=102–110}}<ref name="ALSJ Re-entry">{{cite web |url=https://history.nasa.gov/afj/ap11fj/26day9-reentry.html |work=Apollo 11 Flight Journal |title=Day 9: Re-entry and Splashdown |publisher=NASA |editor-first1=W. David |editor-last1=Woods |editor-first2=Kenneth D. |editor-last2=MacTaggart |editor-first3=Frank |editor-last3=O'Brien |access-date=September 27, 2018}}</ref> The total mission duration was 195 hours, 18 minutes, 35 seconds.{{sfn|Orloff|2000|p=98}}

Bringing back [[pathogen]]s from the lunar surface was considered a possibility, albeit remote, so divers passed biological isolation garments (BIGs) to the astronauts, and assisted them into the life raft. The astronauts were winched on board the recovery helicopter, and flown to the aircraft carrier {{USS|Hornet|CV-12|6}},{{sfn| Manned Spacecraft Center|1969|pp=164–167}} where they spent the first part of the Earth-based portion of 21 days of quarantine.{{sfn|Carmichael|2010|pp=199–200}} On August 13, the three astronauts rode in ticker-tape parades in their honor in New York and Chicago, attended by an estimated six million people.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/27531303/the_evening_sun/ |title=President Offers Toast to 'Three Brave Men' |newspaper=The Evening Sun |date=August 14, 1969 |page=1 |location=Baltimore, Maryland |via=Newspapers.com |agency=Associated Press}}</ref> An official [[state dinner]] that evening in Los Angeles celebrated the flight. President [[Richard Nixon]] honored each of them with the highest American civilian award, the [[Presidential Medal of Freedom]] (with distinction).<ref name="LADinner">{{cite web |url=https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/remarks-dinner-los-angeles-honoring-the-apollo-11-astronauts |title=Richard Nixon: Remarks at a Dinner in Los Angeles Honoring the Apollo{{nbsp}}11 Astronauts |date=August 13, 1969 |publisher=The American Presidency Project|access-date=November 20, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/27531557/the_honolulu_advertiser/ |title=Astronauts Awed by the Acclaim |newspaper=The Honolulu Advertiser |location=Honolulu, Hawaii |page=1 |date=August 14, 1969 |last1=Smith |first1=Merriman |agency=UPI |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>

On September 16, 1969, the astronauts addressed a [[joint session of the United States Congress|joint session of Congress]] where they thanked the representatives for their past support and implored them to continue funding the space effort.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://history.house.gov/HistoricalHighlight/Detail/35693 |title=The Apollo 11 Crew Members Appear Before a Joint Meeting of Congress|access-date=March 3, 2018 |publisher=[[United States House of Representatives]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/27530988/daily_news/ |title=Astro Bids Congress Put a Yank on Mars |newspaper=Daily News |location=New York|date=September 17, 1969 |page=6 |via=Newspapers.com |last1=Bloom |first1=Mark}}</ref> The astronauts embarked on a 38-day world tour on September 29 that brought the astronauts to 22 foreign countries and included visits with leaders of multiple countries.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/27494178/the_logan_daily_news/ |title=Apollo 11 Crew Starts World Tour |agency=Associated Press |date=September 29, 1969 |page=1 |location=Logan, Ohio |newspaper=Logan Daily News |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> The last leg of the tour included Australia, South Korea, and Japan; the crew returned to the US on November 5, 1969.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/27529119/the_los_angeles_times/ |title=Japan's Sato Gives Medals to Apollo Crew |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=November 5, 1969 |page=20 |location=Los Angeles, California |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/27529322/the_sydney_morning_herald/ |title=Australia Welcomes Apollo 11 Heroes |date=November 1, 1969 |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |location=Sydney, New South Wales |page=1 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>

After Apollo 11, Aldrin was kept busy giving speeches and making public appearances. In October 1970, he joined Soviet cosmonauts [[Andriyan Nikolayev]] and [[Vitaly Sevastyanov]] on their tour of the NASA space centers. He was also involved in the design of the [[Space Shuttle]]. With the Apollo program coming to an end, Aldrin, now a [[colonel (United States)|colonel]], saw few prospects at NASA, and decided to return to the Air Force on July 1, 1971.{{sfn|Aldrin|Abraham|2009|pp=81–87}} During his NASA career, he had spent 289 hours and 53 minutes in space, of which 7 hours and 52 minutes was in EVA.<ref name="nasabio" />