In Photos: Buzz Aldrin, Apollo 11 Moonwalker and Astronaut Icon

By Tariq Malik
published

White House Rendezvous With Apollo 11 Crew

President George W. Bush welcomes Apollo 11 Astronauts Michael Collins, left, Neil Armstrong, center, and Buzz Aldrin to the Oval Office on July 21, 2004. The astronauts visited the White House to mark the 35th anniversary of the successful Apollo 11 mission of landing on the moon, walking along its surface and safely returning home. Photo: White House/Eric Draper

Back from the Moon, Apollo Astronauts Had to Go Through Customs

NASA/U.S. Customs and Border Patrol.

A copy of the U.S. Customs form filled out by Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins after their return to Earth on July 24, 1969.

Buzz Aldrin and the X Prize

SPACE.com/William Faulkner

Led by X Prize founder Peter Diamandis (left), a ribbon cutting opened the Wirefly X Prize Cup held this week in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Apollo 11 astronaut, Buzz Aldrin, second from left, lent a hand. Image

Moon Rock for National Cathedral

NASA

Astronaut Neil A. Armstrong carries a lunar rock in the processional to the high alter to be presented to the Washington Cathedral flanked by Apollo 11 crew members Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr. and Michael Collins.

Buzz Aldrin and Moon Shadows

NASA

Sunlight and shadows are cast on the Apollo 11 lunar lander Eagle and lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin in this image by mission commander Neil Armstrong during the first manned moon landing on July 20, 1969.

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Tariq Malik
Tariq Malik
Editor-in-Chief

Tariq is the Editor-in-Chief of Space.com and joined the team in 2001, first as an intern and staff writer, and later as an editor. He covers human spaceflight, exploration and space science, as well as skywatching and entertainment. He became Space.com's Managing Editor in 2009 and Editor-in-Chief in 2019. Before joining Space.com, Tariq was a staff reporter for The Los Angeles Times covering education and city beats in La Habra, Fullerton and Huntington Beach. In October 2022, Tariq received the Harry Kolcum Award for excellence in space reporting from the National Space Club Florida Committee. He is also an Eagle Scout (yes, he has the Space Exploration merit badge) and went to Space Camp four times as a kid and a fifth time as an adult. He has journalism degrees from the University of Southern California and New York University. You can find Tariq at Space.com and as the co-host to the This Week In Space podcast with space historian Rod Pyle on the TWiT network. To see his latest project, you can follow Tariq on Twitter @tariqjmalik.