No Dream Is Too High

• CHAPTER THIRTEEN • HELP OTHERS GO BEYOND WHERE YOU HAVE GONE.

Certainly, we all have a responsibility to give back, to appreciate the sacrifices our forefathers have made, and to be diligent in helping others enjoy those same freedoms and opportunities. Even more important than giving back to society, however, is a determination to “pay it forward,” to help others go beyond where you have gone. This is one of the key motivations of life at my age.

Why am I alive? What am I supposed to do before I die? These are questions everyone should ask, not just octogenarians such as me. At any age, you will be more excited and more effective when you are motivated and activated by the desire to fulfill the purpose you believe you were born to do.

Whatever path your life takes, find time and a way to give something back; give time, talent, or treasure to help your community, or to help someone else achieve his or her goal. Look beyond the mirror where you see only yourself, and see a world with millions of people whose lives you might impact positively, or more important, find one person in whose life you can help make a positive difference. Reaching out and helping another person will bring you more satisfaction than anything you have ever done.

Learn to ask, “How can I help you? What can I offer you?”

That’s what ignites my rockets to this day. Every day I wake up and begin working on some way to help motivate the next generation to develop a challenging but realistic goal of exploring space. So I kicked up some dust on the Moon. Big deal. That was great, but I don’t want that to be my only legacy. I don’t want to be remembered as an iconic voice from the past; I want to be remembered for making a huge impact on the future! I won’t be around to see it, but I want to lay the groundwork for the next generation of explorers.

Nowadays, I consider myself a global statesman for space and have been doing my part to try and move our space program forward.

One of my goals yet to be achieved is to see all 24 of the astronauts—living or deceased—who reached the Moon, including the 12 who landed on the surface, designated as Lunar Ambassadors. In the meantime, I continue my efforts as a global space statesman.

In 1985, I started the ShareSpace Foundation to lobby for a lottery to give regular, everyday people a chance to travel into space, so it wouldn’t be something only governments and the rich folks can do. At first, some people thought my suggestions were the stuff of science fiction, but now with companies like Virgin Galactic, XCOR, and Blue Origin, space tourism is becoming reality. I have no doubt that everyday people will soon start taking suborbital flights. I’m also the AXE Apollo Space Ambassador, and they recently gave away 22 suborbital flights to winners from all over the world, so I’m excited to see my dream of space tourism come to fruition.

But my main focus is Mars! I participated with great honor in America’s initial landing on the Moon, and now I am devoting my life to encouraging and enabling Americans to lead the way in an international effort to land on Mars and establish a permanent presence there. Returning to the Moon with NASA astronauts is not the best use of our resources. Instead, we need to direct our efforts to go beyond the Moon, to establish habitation and laboratories on the surface of Mars.

I have always felt Mars should be the next destination following our landings on the Moon. I’ve been vocal about it for a long time, and the dream of reaching Mars is finally getting closer to becoming a reality. With the Curiosity rover now on the surface of Mars and showing us more sights than ever before, I’m hoping it will pique the curiosity of young people and motivate them to explore beyond Earth and the Moon and on to Mars.

Human settlement on Mars is possible today with existing technologies. Components are well tested and readily available from industry leaders worldwide. The first footprints on Mars and the lives of the crew will captivate and inspire future generations, but I’m convinced that we should develop a colony on Mars, a permanent settlement, not just a landing area. Permanence is the key, right from the get-go. Some of my colleagues don’t feel that establishing a settlement on Mars is wise; others consider it a suicide mission. I disagree. Over a period of six or seven years, we can construct a habitat and laboratory on Mars. Certainly, some people will go to Mars, stay for a while, and return to Earth, but we should also seek out and encourage people who wish to travel to Mars and remain there for the rest of their lives.

Did the Pilgrims on the Mayflower sit around Plymouth Rock waiting for a return ship to England? Absolutely not! They traveled to the New World to settle. And that’s what I hope we will be doing on Mars. When you go to Mars, you need to have made the decision that you’re there permanently. The more people we have there, the more it can become a sustainable environment. Except for very rare exceptions, the people who go to Mars shouldn’t be coming back. Once you get on the surface, you’re there, helping to build a colony.

On the Big Island of Hawaii, some of these ideas are currently being tested, and scientists as well as volunteers are simulating life on Mars. On a portion of the island that looks very similar to the terrain of Mars, people are learning how to live on Mars. They are practicing how to function through the use of robots and rovers, remotely controlled and manipulated by satellite from a safe location, and learning how to dock various pieces of equipment on uneven terrains—even docking habitats in which more people can live. The colonization of Mars is getting closer every day!

That’s why I was excited when Christina gave me several T-shirts with slogans saying something about Mars. She found a shirt that said “Mars Today” and another that said “Occupy Mars,” and then she showed me one with the slogan “Get Your Ass to Mars.” I thought, That’s it! That’s for me! I love it! Actually, as much as I use the phrase, I cannot take credit for it. Christina saw it initially on a shirt advertising the movie Total Recall. I realized that some people might be offended if they saw me wearing such a shirt, but I also knew it would be a great way to call attention to my goal of motivating people to go to Mars.

The first time I wore the shirt, we were in Dubai, getting ready to board a plane, and Christina took a picture and sent it out on Twitter. I was wearing a red flight suit and did a “Superman” pose. The picture went around the world!

I started wearing the shirt everywhere I went, and before long, other people were asking, “Hey, Buzz, where can I get one of those shirts?” So we designed our own, and now people everywhere are wearing the GYATM shirts. Anything that causes people to pay attention and helps keep the focus on the mission to Mars is fine with me! And all sorts of people wanted to wear one. Before long, I spotted people everywhere wearing “Get Your Ass to Mars” shirts, from Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters to Jim Lovell of Apollo 13 fame. And they looked good!

The GYATM campaign took off like a Saturn rocket. I began receiving invitations for speaking engagements that went something like this: “Dear Mr. Aldrin, Please Get Your Ass to Korea and tell us how we can get to Mars.” So I plan to get my ass to Korea, to Australia, and to anywhere else an opportunity comes up to encourage people that we can do it. We can get our collective ass to Mars!

ALTHOUGH I AM APPRECIATIVE and supportive of the commercial ventures now pursuing space travel, and I understand why some people feel the private sector should lead the way to Mars, I disagree that governments of nations should not be involved. This monumental achievement by humanity should not be done by one private company. It should be accomplished by a collection of the best from all the countries on Earth, and in the same way that we remember President Kennedy’s challenge that motivated us to dream of reaching the Moon, the leader of the nation who makes a commitment to land on Mars within two decades will be remembered throughout history.

Obviously, I am passionate about forging our future in space. People ask me all the time, “Why do we need to go to Mars?” or “Why do we even need a space program?”

Perhaps the best reason is that by venturing into space, we improve life for everyone here on Earth. The scientific advancements and innovations that come from this type of research create products and technology that we use in our daily lives, and provide even more convenience to people all over the world every day. For example, the technology and the satellites used for communications by cell phones, GPS, and most television networks have been possible because of investments in the space program.

Space activities provide shared experiences for people of diverse countries and can promote cultural acceptance, expand international cooperation, and reduce social gaps. Indirectly, the exploration of space can encourage peace on Earth.

During the 1960s and 1970s, when the United States and the Soviet Union engaged as adversaries in the cold war, the competition between the two countries to achieve dominance in space stimulated America to improve our technologies and scientific studies. That demonstration of perseverance, along with the dedication of our citizens and the depth of the U.S. industrial capabilities, went a long way toward convincing Soviet premier Mikhail Gorbachev that his nation could not match our potential. The announcement by President Ronald Reagan that we would develop a strategic defense initiative, dubbed “Star Wars” by the program’s detractors, was a major factor in ending the cold war. So in a way, America’s pursuit of space exploration brought peace to our country and reduced the threat of nuclear war worldwide.

Although I have spent most of my life distrusting the Soviet Union, one of the truly marvelous accomplishments of the space program was the cooperative effort in which the United States worked together with the Soviets in 1975 to dock our Apollo spacecraft with the Soyuz spacecraft. Think of that: In the midst of the cold war, our two nations found it expedient to work together in a peaceful effort. It just goes to show what could happen if we allowed the exploration of space to draw us together rather than exaggerating our differences and driving us into another expensive and counterproductive space race.

Occasionally, someone will ask me, “Buzz, why do you encourage space cooperation with Russia and China? You know we can’t trust those guys.” Truth is, we have little choice right now, but despite our cautions, I am hopeful that our nations can move into deep space exploration, cooperating above the atmosphere for peaceful purposes.

Nevertheless, as in many spheres of life, an important safeguard is to respect power but always be suspicious of it. We need to keep that principle in mind when working together with nations such as Russia and China. The old adage “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer” applies. For example, we must respect China’s power and capabilities, while always being suspicious of its methods and motivations. The Chinese are not America’s enemies, but they are not exactly our friends, either. They are well known for their attempts to hack into our nation’s computer systems and for their devious efforts to obtain any technological advantage possible over the United States. To dismiss that with a wave of the hand would be a mistake.

At the same time, China has become a world power and a major player in space, and we would be silly to ignore the potential exploration we could pursue by cooperation. China has copied the older Russian space technology and has far surpassed it.

Regardless of what the Russians or the Chinese do, America needs a revival of that sort of emphasis today, developing our technology and placing a big goal in front of our country, especially for our youth, a goal large enough to inspire our nation to pursue excellence and greatness rather than mediocrity.

A good education is essential. That is why I stress the importance of STEAM—Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math—as key elements in the successes of my career. When I was in the Apollo program, the United States led the world in STEAM subjects. And that was a big part of why we did so well with the space program. Today, we have a great need for improvement in these studies. Many students complete an entire college education without even taking introductory classes in these vital subjects. But if you ever hope to explore space, you must first explore some STEAM classes. Besides, every country needs a strong STEAM workforce tailored to its specific economic, social, and cultural situation. We cannot just do space stuff for geeks; we need to explore STEAM classes for the benefit of every human being.

I also encourage undergraduate aerospace engineering students to enroll in flight classes. As you experience the joy of flying and the freedom of soaring through the air, and as you study the mechanics of how flight is possible—the laws of motion and how air can provide lift when it is moved by propulsion, causing an airplane to defy gravity as it is in the sky, and then safely returning to the Earth—I hope you will become as passionate about the possibilities of space travel as I am—or more!

ON AUGUST 25, 2012, I RECEIVED A call from Christina, sharing information with me that I really didn’t want to hear. “Buzz, Neil Armstrong passed away today. Some sort of complications due to heart surgery.”

I felt as though someone had let all the air out of my lungs. “Oh, no,” I sighed. Neil was 82 years old, and I had really hoped that he and I would live long enough to celebrate together the 50th anniversary of our landing on the Moon in 2019. “I really thought that we could make it, that the three of us, Neil, Mike, and I, could celebrate that big anniversary together,” I told Christina. Neil’s death saddened me as much as if he were a member of my own family.

My daughter, Jan, and I attended the private ceremony honoring Neil in his hometown, and Christina and I attended the service in honor of Neil at the Washington National Cathedral. The cavernous cathedral was filled to capacity with family, NASA dignitaries, and many Navy cadets sitting in honor of one of their own. Christina and I sat in the front row, just off the pulpit area, along with John Glenn and his wife, and Diana Krall, who later sang “Fly Me to the Moon.” Mike Collins had a part in the ceremony, so he sat at the front of the sanctuary along with the minister. From the moment I heard the first sounds of the Scottish bagpiper walking down the majestic cathedral’s center aisle, followed by the Navy honor guard, I knew it was going to be an emotionally difficult yet moving tribute to Neil. Indeed, the ceremony was somber, but not sad. As Gene Cernan, the most recent man to walk on the Moon during Apollo 17, eulogized our friend, I let my eyes wander to the National Cathedral’s south-side wall, where a sensational stained glass window contained one of the rocks we brought back from the Moon. Neil would have appreciated that.

Perhaps one of the most poignant portions of the ceremony came when the recorded voice of President John F. Kennedy echoed through the hallowed hall, challenging America to land a man on the Moon before the end of the decade. Kennedy did not say anything about landing two men on the Moon, but Neil and I had done that. Nor did President Kennedy say anything in his speech about walking on the lunar surface, but Neil and I had done that as well.

Now nearly 50 years since I stepped onto the Moon, and with my colleague Neil Armstrong gone, the reality is, soon I will be gone as well—although not for a few more decades, I hope! Nevertheless, after all these years, one of the hardest questions for me to answer is: “What did it feel like to walk on the Moon?” Of course, I’ve tried to answer that question in various ways, but because I am a scientist rather than a poet, I’ve never adequately described the awesomeness of the experience. Perhaps it is impossible to do so.

Recently, a little girl asked me this very question, and I said, “Squishy,” with a twinkle in my eye. She understood.

But I often answer the question by returning to the first words that came into my head after setting foot on the lunar surface and gazing around: “Magnificent. Magnificent desolation.”

Although we had little time for ruminations that day as I looked out at the darkness beyond the horizon and the tiny blue marble of Earth 250,000 miles away, I was struck by the magnificence of it all—not merely the Moon’s appearance, but the fact that human beings were standing on it, that I was stepping on surfaces that had not been disturbed in thousands of years. I was awed by the magnificence of the technology that had made my steps on the Moon possible, and by the imagination and courage of people on Earth to dream of expanding our capabilities. All that and more was wrapped up in my exclamation, “Magnificent.”

Yet it was also desolate—more desolate than any place on Earth. There was no atmosphere, no plant life, no signs of life anywhere. Beyond me, I could see the surface of the Moon curving away into the horizon and the sky of black velvet sheen in every direction. It seemed so cold, colder than anything on Earth, although I knew that when the Sun came up, the lunar surface would get extremely hot. So, yes, it was magnificent, but the starkly barren, monochromatic hues all around me evoked my spontaneous expression, “Magnificent desolation.” After all these years, that is still the best description I’ve come up with in trying to convey my first impressions and the enormity of it all.

Looking back at Earth from the Moon, a question darted across my mind: Where are the billions of people on that little marble that I’m looking at? It struck me that of all the human beings, living or dead, Neil, Mike, and I were the only three not there.

CHRISTINA AND I WERE TALKING recently about my age and the fact that one of these days, I am going to die.

“Yeah, and when you do, I want to send half of your ashes to Mars,” she said.

“Really? Which half?” I asked.

“Depends on what I’m mad about at that time,” she quipped. “But you can be sure of this, I’m going to send your ass to Mars!”

THE OATH I TOOK AS A TEENAGE BOY—“Duty, Honor, and Service to my country”—still permeates my thoughts today. Serving my country remains my paramount passion, and I’m constantly looking for new and better ways to do it.

Besides encouraging the next generation of space explorers, another of my priorities has been to help honor and better care for our country’s veterans—the men and women who have sacrificed so much so that our nation and world can live in freedom and peace. Certainly, I want to be of service to America’s space program, but I also want to continue to be of service to our veterans and our military.

In October 2012, Brian Jones, an explorer in his own right who has flown around the world in a hot-air balloon, called and invited me to Great Britain to help Aerobility, a UK charity that provides flying experiences to disabled people. Their plan was to raise money by engaging more than 50 celebrities to “fly” various lengths in a realistic cockpit simulating around-the-world flights. The idea piqued my interest, so I consented to help, and we raised a ton of money for the organization.

I flew my lengths and then popped out of the simulator completely exhilarated. I loved it! “Wow, the sense of accomplishment that I feel,” I said, “coming out of that cockpit … It is amazing.”

“You?” Christina asked. “Really? After all the flying you have done, you are excited about flying in a simulator?”

“Yes, it has been a while since I’ve flown, or even been in a simulator, and I’d forgotten how exciting it is to me. Plus, there are a lot of things that a pilot has to concentrate on … You really have to focus on what you are doing … airspeed … rate of climb … There are all sorts of things a pilot must do.” So it occurred to me that this could be a good thing for veterans who are suffering with post-traumatic stress disorder. Because one of the things they struggle with is getting out of themselves and focusing on something else besides their memories, this could be a way to help them get their minds off their problems and provide an enjoyable way to have a sense of accomplishment.

Two months later, Aerobility held the Aviators Ball, an event honoring individuals and groups connected to their cause. For instance, they gave an award to a man who has cerebral palsy and who learned to fly. Another man, wheelchair bound, learned to fly using special instrument panel adjustments, similar to those that some handicapped individuals use to drive an automobile.

When my turn came to address the crowd, I made a spontaneous, public commitment. “I have made a decision that I want to do what you are doing, but I want to focus on veterans in the United States.” There it was: I was on record.

I decided to call our organization U.S. Aerobility and to focus our efforts on creating opportunities for U.S. veterans, especially those with physical disabilities, so they can learn to fly. This organization has become near and dear to my heart.

We have already provided several combat veterans who are dealing with PTSD the opportunities to fly in a simulator, and then to fly in an actual plane. It takes concentration to fly, so when the vets discover that they can focus again, it opens whole new vistas of opportunity for them. If I can fly an airplane, what else can I do? they wonder.

In addition to U.S. Aerobility, I have been actively involved in raising awareness for veterans in another way. Until recently, when the national anthem was being played, the military hand salute was restricted to those in active service. In 2008, though, President George W. Bush signed a bill into law allowing veterans also to hand salute the flag, rather than simply putting a hand over the heart. It is a great way that other people can take note of and appreciate the veterans who have served our country.

To help create awareness of this new practice, I created an organization called VetSalute.​org and have been attending more sporting events than ever before in my life! I’ve been to a Los Angeles Dodgers game on Memorial Day and to an Angels game on another occasion, and when “The Star-Spangled Banner” is played, I raise my hand in salute of our flag.

Somebody said to me, “Why are you doing a hand salute, Buzz? You’re not active military.”

“Because I am a U.S. veteran.”

“But I didn’t think veterans were supposed to hand salute?”

“Oh, yes, now we can,” I said.

To me, anyone who has served our country is worthy of honor, and this is simply another way that I can use my celebrity to help others go beyond where I have gone. Doing something bigger than yourself will bring you more satisfaction than all the accolades you can accumulate in life.

PERHAPS MY GREATEST LEGACY WILL BE my efforts to establish USSE—United Strategic Space Enterprise—a group of international expert advisers, a nonpartisan “think tank” whose members will meet regularly to study space policy, confer, and offer their expertise to all nations pursuing the exploration of space. Of course, the idea of the U.S.S. Enterprise reminds many people of Star Trek, so I tell them that we are going to have Star Fleet Captains, led by the Star Fleet Admiral—me!

I am also passionate about working with the Buzz Aldrin Space Institute at the Florida Institute of Technology, in partnership with Purdue University, to enhance and promote my vision of Mars exploration.

Just as the United States helped win two World Wars, as well as the cold war, America can now lead the way in the peaceful exploration of space. Neil and I left a plaque on the Moon that reads, “We came in peace for all mankind.” I still believe that is true, and it is the only way to effectively muster the resources—financial, intellectual, and technological—to explore deep space. Rather than competing with the Chinese or the Russians or the Italians or anyone else for dominance in space, we would be wiser to cooperate and win great victories for all nations.

As for the future, I strongly feel that we need to get the world excited again about space exploration and have the pioneering spirit to reach beyond our boundaries and current capabilities. I hope we can get the next generation to feel as we did back when I was privileged to be a part of the Apollo program.

Since our return to Earth and our splashdown in the Pacific, I’ve come to realize that more than the rocks we brought back or the experiments we left, the true value of Apollo 11 and the first landing on the Moon is the amazing story of innovation and teamwork that went into overcoming the obstacles to accomplish our goal.

In all, a team of 400,000 people worked together on a common dream. From the engineers, technicians, and rocket scientists who designed and built the multistage Saturn V rocket to the aerospace industry contractors, NASA administrators, and even the seamstress who sewed our space suits—it took a unified effort to accomplish everything that was needed to reach and land on the Moon.

Occasionally, someone in their teens or 20s will come up to me and say, “My grandfather worked on some of the technology for Apollo 11. Did you know him?”

Usually, I didn’t. So many dedicated people worked together toward the common goal of reaching the Moon, in various locations around the country, that it was impossible for me to meet all of them. But every person’s contribution to the team—regardless how large or small—mattered in the unified effort toward accomplishing the end result. The success of Apollo 11 was definitely due to a great team effort.

That effort was driven in part by competition and in part by a universal thirst for knowledge through scientific discovery. People all over the world felt they had participated in our incredible journey, as we landed and walked on another celestial body for the first time. And that feeling of participation brought together humanity, and it still holds immeasurable value and hope for future cooperation between people of all nations.

The world welcomed us back from the Moon as heroes, cheering wildly as we participated in parades and celebrations. I understood, however, that people were not simply cheering for three guys, but for what we represented—that by a lot of people working together for a common cause, we had accomplished the impossible.

THESE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVORITE life lessons that I learned as a result of walking on the Moon and the preparation that took us there—the guiding principles that have helped keep me going since returning to Earth.

• The sky is not the limit … there are footprints on the Moon!

• Keep your mind open to possibilities.

• Show me your friends, and I will show you your future.

• Second comes right after first.

• Write your own epitaph.

• Maintain your spirit of adventure.

• Failure is always an option.

• Practice respect for all people.

• Do what you believe is right even when others choose otherwise.

• Trust your gut … and your instruments.

• Laugh … a lot!

• Keep a young mind-set at every age.

• Help others go beyond where you have gone.

I hope these lessons will be as helpful to you as they have been to me.

Take it from a man who has walked on the Moon: Be careful what you dream—it just might come to pass, so be prepared. Apollo is the story of people at their best, working together for a common goal. We started with a dream, and we can do these kinds of things again.

With a united effort and a great team, you too can achieve great things. I know, because I am living proof that no dream is too high!