The three foot tall replica of the spacecraft, which Aldrin calls "quite accurate" includes launch countdown and liftoff sound effects along with "real feel" launch vibrations at the press of a button. "I was impressed with the high quality of their models," says Aldrin.

The Signature Series edition is replacing Space Voyagers' previously released Ultimate Saturn V with packaging including images of Aldrin, biographical information, and his (printed) autograph.

The nearly 3 foot Buzz Aldrin Signature Series Ultimate Saturn V by Space Voyagers.

"By adding the personal story of Buzz Aldrin to the content of the product, we are providing the consumer with a point of reference they can relate to," noted Action Products President and CEO Ron Kaplan in an interview with SPACE.com. "Now our story has a hero."

Action Products is turning to the Internet to enable the interaction with the space explorers. As part of the agreement, Aldrin and his fellow astronauts will participate in online chats, personal appearances, and answer e-mail through the company's website.

Unlike other toy manufacturers, Action Products specializes in presenting alternatives to the violence children encounter on television, in the movies, and in video games. The Space Voyagers brand of toys, one of five held by the company, is marketed by Action Products as being both educational and "kid-cool."

"The past, present, and future of space travel is the most exciting real-life adventure of all," says Kaplan.

The company's previous offerings have been released in four categories: miniature spacecraft and action figures (Mini Voyagers(TM)), standard-sized (4-inch) action figures, collectible keychains (Keyclips(TM)), and highly detailed models and figures (Collector's Series). Each set has included toy versions of the Space Shuttle, Saturn V, and different era space-suited astronauts.

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Common to all the sets however, is an attention to detail and accuracy.

While production costs are not often a factor, playability is a concern.

"Of course there are trade-offs," says Luttenberg, "these are toys, not model kits, and they are intended to stand up to kid's play. In the case of the Ultimate Saturn V, we needed to make some allowances for safety and durability, and to make the number of pieces manageable for the consumer. Where we do not compromise is with the accuracy of the story we present... there are no phasers, no aliens, no secret criminal organizations."

"By adding the personal story of Buzz Aldrin to the content of the product, we are providing the consumer with a point of reference they can relate to."
     

In addition to staying true to history, Luttenberg explained how every resource is exploited to guarantee each miniature spacecraft is presented realistically.

"In order to ensure its accuracy [on the Saturn V] we sought out every reference we could possibly find, including original press briefings from the 1960's. The scratch-built modeling community has also assembled extremely impressive documentation and this was an important resource in those cases where original documentation was hard to find."

With a history of creating space-related toys since 1977 (with the Space Voyagers brand launched in 1997) Action Products' Marketing Manager Greg Zesinger says consumers have embraced their toy versions of the Space Shuttle Orbiter and Saturn V as the most popular.

Unable to share what the next product the partnership with Aldrin will bring, Zesinger sees the company's product development as being "heavily influenced by current events in the space program, such as the Mars missions and construction of the International Space Station."

Zesigner is optimistic. "Of course, with the announcement of our partnership with Dr. Aldrin," Zesinger adds, "we fully expect the Ultimate Saturn V to take the Space Voyagers brand to even greater heights!"