UNSPECIFIED, JULY 1969 - In this handout photo provided by NASA, U.S. astronaut Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin, Jr., Lunar Module pilot on Apollo 11, poses for a portrait taken in July 1969. He and mission Commander Neil Armstrong were the first persons to land on the Moon. (Photo by NASA via Getty Images)
Fifty years ago on July 20, 1969 Neil Armstrong followed by Buzz Aldrin became the first men to step foot on the moon.Millions watched the historic Apollo 11 moon landing mission which also included Michael Collins in the capsule.
On Friday, July 19th at 8:20 a.m., Bill Wills talks to Buzz Aldrin about the moon landing and his career in space.Aldrin graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and was a jet fighter pilot during the Korean War.He earned a doctoral degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and made his first space flight in 1966 on Gemini 12.
Aldrin left NASA in 1971, he retired from the Air Force in 1972 and he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom and he continues to advocate for space exploration.