Buzz Aldrin Shares Mars Mission Plan in New Book

Posted on March 31, 2013

Astronaut Buzz Aldrin advocates a manned mission to Mars in his upcoming book, Mission to Mars: My Vision for Space Exploration. Aldrin, 83, is known for his Apollo 11 moonwalk. He also holds a doctoral degree in astronautics.

His new book, published by National Geographic Books, will go on sale May 7. The book is co-written by space journalist Leonard David and includes a foreword by Aldrin's son Andrew.

In the book, Aldrin lays out his goals for the space program and how he believes we can get humans to Mars by 2035. Aldrin does not want more NASA astronauts on the moon. He says, "Do not put NASA astronauts on the moon. They have other places to go."

Aldrin also discusses his family in the book and his time in the Korean War. He talks about his initial rejection by NASA. Aldrin even calls out large aerospace contractors for a lack of transparency with NASA. He also admits that he made a big mistake in the 1970s by not being more vocal about his displeasure with the initial design that preceded the Space Shuttle.

Stephen Hawking says of Aldrin's new book, "Colonizing space is essential for the long term survival of the human race, and Buzz Aldrin's book shows us how."