Flight Deck Podcast

Buzz Aldrin, the second human to set foot on the Moon, recalls the Apollo 11 mission and how one felt tip pen helped the astronauts successfully return to Earth. Today we honor the 50th anniversary of the first human footsteps on the Moon! This day is especially significant because the Smithsonian Institute has chosen The Museum of Flight as the venue for hosting the command module Columbia, the spacecraft that Apollo 11 astronauts took to the Moon and back, and it’s the only piece of the spaceship that made it back to Earth. When Buzz Aldrin visited the Museum for our annual gala, he was interviewed by Neil Armstrong’s sons—Rick and Mark—and refers to Armstrong as “your dad” throughout the interview. Aldrin gives some insights about the famous image of him exiting the LEM to begin extravehicular activity on the lunar surface. “I didn’t see him [Neil] having much trouble moving around,” Aldrin’s says, recalling seeing Neil Armstrong walking on the Moon before him. Seeing Neil moving easily across the Moon’