UFO Coin editorial team · Profile of reported claims. Sources, limitations and corrections. Illustrations are not evidence of the events described.
Buzz Aldrin, born Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr. in 1930, graduated third in his class from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1951 and flew 66 combat missions in the Korean War as a U.S. Air Force pilot, downing two MiG-15s. He earned a doctorate in astronautics from MIT in 1963 before joining NASA.
On the Apollo 11 mission he described a bright light moving alongside the spacecraft during the translunar coast; the crew determined it was likely sunlight on a jettisoned panel rather than the distant S-IVB stage or anything anomalous. He has consistently rejected extraterrestrial interpretations in interviews and online.
- U.S. Air Force Colonel, flew 66 Korean War combat missions in F-86 Sabres.
- Gemini 12 pilot who set EVA record of 5.5 hours in 1966.
- Apollo 11 Lunar Module pilot; second person to walk on the Moon on 20 July 1969.
- In 2014 Reddit AMA clarified the 1969 light sighting as reflected sunlight on panels and stated it was not alien.
- Retired from NASA in 1971 and U.S. Air Force in 1972.
- United StatesBorn and lifelong citizen
- U.S. Air ForceColonel, 1951–1972
- NASAAstronaut 1963–1971
- U.S. Military Academy at West PointB.S. Mechanical Engineering 1951
- Massachusetts Institute of TechnologySc.D. Astronautics 1963
- Gemini 12Pilot 1966
- Apollo 11Lunar Module pilot 1969
- ShareSpace FoundationFounder 1998
Background
Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr. was born on 20 January 1930 in Montclair, New Jersey. His nickname Buzz originated from a childhood mispronunciation by his sister. He graduated from Montclair High School a year early and entered the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1947, earning a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering in 1951 and finishing third in his class of 475. Commissioned into the U.S. Air Force, Aldrin served as a jet fighter pilot during the Korean War from 1951 to 1953. Assigned to the 51st Fighter Wing, he flew 66 combat missions in F-86 Sabre aircraft and achieved two confirmed kills against MiG-15 fighters. After the war he attended the Air Force Institute of Technology and later pursued advanced studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
In 1959 Aldrin entered the Massachusetts Institute of Technology doctoral program. His 1963 Sc.D. thesis, “Line-of-Sight Guidance Techniques for Manned Orbital Rendezvous,” directly supported later NASA docking procedures. That same year he was selected as one of NASA’s third group of astronauts, becoming the first with a doctoral degree. Aldrin’s first spaceflight came as pilot of Gemini 12 in November 1966. Over nearly four days he performed three spacewalks totaling 5.5 hours, setting a new record for extravehicular activity at the time and demonstrating effective tether and propulsion techniques for future missions. Selected for Apollo 11, Aldrin served as Lunar Module pilot alongside Commander Neil Armstrong and Command Module pilot Michael Collins.
The crew launched on 16 July 1969. During the translunar coast phase approximately three days into the flight, Aldrin and the others noted a bright light moving alongside the spacecraft. The crew radioed mission control about the object. After confirming the spent S-IVB booster stage was roughly 6,000 miles away, they concluded the light was sunlight reflecting off one of four panels that had separated when the lunar module was extracted from its adapter. Aldrin later described the sighting in his own words as technically “unidentified” only because they could not specify which panel. The crew discussed the observation during post-flight debriefings but NASA did not highlight it publicly.
Years later Aldrin recounted the story in a 2005–2006 television documentary, prompting renewed interest. In a 2014 Reddit AMA he stated explicitly that the light was sunlight on a panel, that the crew understood its origin upon return, and that it was not an alien spacecraft. Aldrin left NASA in 1971 and retired from the Air Force as a colonel in 1972. He later founded the ShareSpace Foundation to promote space tourism and education, authored books, and remained active in public appearances advocating for human spaceflight to Mars. As of November 2026 Buzz Aldrin, age 96, remains the last surviving Apollo 11 crew member.
Aldrin's later public career has included advocacy for space exploration, education and missions to Mars. The sources reviewed for this profile do not establish a complete schedule of his activities in November 2026, and no new UFO disclosure is asserted here. The Apollo observation produced no physical evidence beyond the crew's report of a light. The radio exchange and Aldrin's later explanations concern the spacecraft's surroundings, not a demonstrated alien vehicle. The uncertainty over which panel they saw should not be confused with an absence of any plausible explanation for the light.
Public claims by Aldrin have remained consistent with the panel identification across interviews and written accounts. No separate testimony from other crew members contradicts this conclusion. Evidentiary limitations include the absence of photographic records of the light and reliance on visual estimates during a high-workload phase of flight. Official context from NASA post-flight reports treats the event as a resolved spacecraft artifact rather than an anomaly requiring further investigation.
Where They Are Now
Born in January 1930, Aldrin would be ninety-six at this profile's research date in November 2026. The sources reviewed describe his post-NASA work as an author and advocate for space exploration, but do not provide a verified account of every current activity. No unsupported claim of a new award or scheduled appearance is included here.
Aldrin maintains an active interest in space policy through occasional statements and his foundation work, though detailed daily activities after age 96 are not extensively documented in public records.
Last updated 7 November 2026
Sources
- Buzz Aldrin | Biography, Career, Neil Armstrong, & Facts | Britannica
Career milestones, education, military service, NASA roles and dates.
- Fact check: Buzz Aldrin did not claim to have seen aliens while heading to the Moon | Reuters
2014 Reddit AMA quote, crew conclusion about panels, and explicit rejection of alien interpretation.
- Buzz Aldrin: What That Apollo 11 'UFO' Really Was... | Skeptical Inquirer
Detailed account of the sighting, radio exchange with Houston, and identification as panels.
