Buzz Aldrin: Biography, Net Worth, and Apollo 11 Facts

Most people know Buzz Aldrin as the second man to walk on the Moon — but that one sentence barely scratches the surface of a life that spans fighter pilot missions, an MIT doctorate, a very human moment involving bodily fluids on the lunar surface, and a decades-long push to get humans to Mars. In this profile, we untangle the facts behind the headlines: how much he actually made from Apollo 11, what his friendship with Neil Armstrong really looked like, and what he’s doing now at age 95.

Full name: Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr. ·
Born: January 20, 1930 ·
Moon landing: Apollo 11, July 20, 1969 ·
Moonwalk order: Second person ·
Net worth (est.): $10–12 million ·
Status: Alive as of 2025

Eight key facts about Buzz Aldrin’s life, career, and financial status — one pattern: the public record is rich on his NASA service but thinner on his personal relationships and net worth.

When did Buzz Aldrin pee on the Moon?

The Apollo 11 urine disposal system

The infamous moment happened during the Apollo 11 moonwalk on July 20, 1969. Aldrin was inside his spacesuit for hours — between the pre-EVA preparations, the 2-hour and 15-minute lunar surface excursion (NASA mission logs), and the return to the lunar module. The suit’s urine collection bag malfunctioned, forcing Aldrin to urinate directly into his spacesuit — a detail he later confirmed in interviews and his autobiography.

Why the incident became famous

The story has become part of space lore because it’s a startlingly human moment amid the sublime achievement of walking on another world. It also highlights the engineering limitations of early space suits: NASA had no effective waste management system for long-duration EVAs. Today, astronauts wear Maximum Absorbency Garments (MAGs) — essentially diapers — during launches and spacewalks (NASA (space agency) Human Spaceflight documentation).

The implication: a moment of human vulnerability within a monumental achievement, exposing the limits of early space technology.

Were Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong friends?

Their professional relationship

The most honest summary comes from Aldrin’s own public comments and the recollections of Apollo 11 command module pilot Michael Collins. Collins described Armstrong and Aldrin as “neutral strangers” outside their mission-focused working relationship (Grunge (pop-culture history site) summary of Collins’ accounts). Aldrin himself, in an interview after Armstrong’s death in 2012, called Armstrong a “true American hero” and “good friend and space exploration companion”.

Evidence from interviews and biographies

Biographers and fellow astronauts suggest the two men were cordial but not close. They rarely socialized outside of work. Armstrong was famously private and reserved, while Aldrin was more outgoing and willing to engage with the public. At a 2019 Apollo 11 50th-anniversary event, Aldrin told an interviewer he believed they were friends — even if Armstrong wasn’t casually warm. The implication: their relationship was professional respect that deepened into genuine but understated friendship, not the deep personal bond sometimes imagined by the public.

“Beautiful, beautiful, magnificent desolation.”

— Buzz Aldrin, Apollo 11 Lunar Module Pilot, describing the Moon’s surface from the lunar module window

“Neutral strangers outside their mission-focused working relationship.”

— Michael Collins, Apollo 11 Command Module Pilot, describing Armstrong and Aldrin (Grunge summary of Collins’ accounts)

Aldrin later publicly referred to Armstrong as a “true American hero” and “good friend” in a 2012 tribute. The pattern across these accounts: the men maintained a civil, respectful bond that never became deeply personal.

Is Buzz Aldrin a millionaire?

Buzz Aldrin net worth estimate

Multiple financial sources place Aldrin’s net worth in the $10–12 million range. NationalWorld (UK news and features) and PeaceWorks (opinion and culture site) both report the $12 million figure.

Sources of income after NASA

Aldrin built his wealth through speaking fees — he commands tens of thousands of dollars per appearance — plus book deals (including Mission to Mars and Welcome to Mars), autograph signings, and merchandise licensing. He also sold personal items at auction; his Apollo 11 jacket fetched a reported $275,000. In 1969, his Apollo 11 salary was $18,623 — about $129,598 in today’s dollars (Yahoo Finance inflation calculation).

Comparison with Neil Armstrong’s wealth

Armstrong’s net worth at his death was estimated at $8–10 million — slightly less than Aldrin’s. Armstrong was famously reclusive and avoided commercial deals, while Aldrin actively marketed his personal brand. The trade-off: Aldrin’s higher public profile generated more income, but also more scrutiny and invitations he didn’t always want.

The implication: Aldrin’s financial success illustrates how celebrity status from a historic mission can yield long-term wealth beyond government salary.

What was Buzz Aldrin’s famous quote?

The misquote about walking on the Moon

Many people think Aldrin said something like “One small step for man” — but that was Armstrong’s line. Aldrin’s own famous description came later, when he looked at the lunar surface and said: “Magnificent desolation.” His full quote, captured on NASA’s audio recording, was: “Beautiful, beautiful, magnificent desolation” (NASA Apollo 11 transcript archives).

His actual words: ‘Magnificent desolation’

The phrase has become shorthand for the emotional complexity of standing on a world that is both stunning and utterly lifeless. Aldrin later used it as the title of his autobiography. The quote captures something Armstrong’s more famous line doesn’t: the paradox of human presence in an empty, hostile environment. Aldrin’s words remind us that exploration is as much about feeling the strangeness as about planting a flag.

What happens if astronauts need to pee during launch?

Launch suits and urine collection devices

From the Apollo era through today, astronauts have worn absorbent diapers during launches and spacewalks. The Apollo suits used a roll-on cuff collection system — essentially a condom-catheter connected to a bag inside the suit (NASA Human Spaceflight documentation). Modern SpaceX and NASA launch suits use Maximum Absorbency Garments (MAGs) — the same technology as adult diapers — that can hold up to a liter of fluid.

Apollo era vs. modern solutions

The key difference: Apollo astronauts had to manually connect the urine collection device to a bag, which could — and did — fail. Aldrin’s experience on Apollo 11 proved that the system didn’t work well under the stress of a moonwalk. Today’s MAGs are simpler, more reliable, and allow astronauts to focus on the mission instead of worrying about plumbing (NASA spacesuit engineering history). The bottom line: the solution hasn’t changed in 50 years — it’s just gotten better at its job.

Timeline

What this timeline shows: Aldrin’s life has three clear acts — military and academic preparation (1930–1966), NASA peak (1966–1971), and a long post-NASA career as an advocate and public figure (1971–present). The pattern is not how many people imagine a celebrity astronaut’s life: his most famous moment came at age 39, and he spent the next 54 years building a second, equally public career.

Frequently asked questions

For those who grew up with the Apollo narrative as a childhood memory, Buzz Aldrin’s story has a surprising twist: he outlived his own fame, built a second fortune from it, and remains the most visible living connection to humanity’s greatest adventure. For the space enthusiasts and future explorers reading this, the takeaway is clear: landing on the Moon may be the hardest thing he ever did — but sustaining a public career for five decades after it might be the more instructive lesson.