Buzz Aldrin Celebrates Artemis II Moon Flyby with Six-Word Reaction

The former astronaut praises NASA's progress while backing Elon Musk's Mars colonization plans.

Apr. 8, 2026 at 3:13pm

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Legendary astronaut Buzz Aldrin, the second person to walk on the Moon, has been closely following the Artemis II mission and expressing his excitement over NASA's return to the lunar surface. Aldrin, who made history alongside Neil Armstrong in 1969, has been described as 'giddy' and 'amazed' by the Artemis II crew's successful Moon flyby, which set a new record for the furthest human space travel.

Why it matters

Aldrin's enthusiastic support for the Artemis program underscores the historic significance of NASA's renewed efforts to explore the Moon, over 50 years after the Apollo missions. As a pioneering astronaut, Aldrin's endorsement carries weight and highlights the generational shift in space exploration, with the Artemis generation following in the footsteps of the Apollo astronauts.

The details

The Artemis II crew, composed of NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, successfully completed a flyby of the Moon on April 6th. This involved traveling to the lunar far side, temporarily losing contact with Earth. The Orion capsule then set a new record for the furthest human space travel, surpassing the previous mark set by the Apollo 13 mission. While the Artemis II astronauts did not land on the Moon, a successful Artemis III mission is expected to return humans to the lunar surface as early as 2027.

  • On July 20, 1969, Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong became the first people to walk on the Moon.
  • On April 6, 2026, the Artemis II crew completed a successful flyby of the Moon.
  • The Artemis II crew is expected to splashdown off the coast of San Diego on April 10, 2026.

The players

Buzz Aldrin

A former NASA astronaut who was the second person to walk on the Moon, after Neil Armstrong.

Elon Musk

The billionaire CEO of SpaceX, who has long advocated for the colonization of Mars.

Reid Wiseman

A NASA astronaut who was part of the Artemis II crew that completed the Moon flyby.

Victor Glover

A NASA astronaut who was part of the Artemis II crew that completed the Moon flyby.

Christina Koch

A NASA astronaut who was part of the Artemis II crew that completed the Moon flyby.

Jeremy Hansen

A Canadian Space Agency astronaut who was part of the Artemis II crew that completed the Moon flyby.

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What they’re saying

“This is fantastic. They are following in our footsteps. It is long overdue.”

— Buzz Aldrin

“Buzz has been in a spirited mood all week. He's been watching Artemis. He's absolutely amazed that they used a lot of his ideas through the years. He's giddy about it all and kept saying: 'now it's time to occupy Mars!'”

— Steven Barber, Documentary filmmaker and longtime friend of Buzz Aldrin

What’s next

The Artemis III mission, which is expected to launch next year, is planned to return humans to the lunar surface as early as 2027.

The takeaway

Buzz Aldrin's enthusiastic support for the Artemis program highlights the historic significance of NASA's renewed efforts to explore the Moon, over 50 years after the Apollo missions. Aldrin's endorsement underscores the generational shift in space exploration, with the Artemis generation following in the footsteps of the pioneering astronauts of the past.