Buzz Aldrin: Moonwalk, Funeral, Urination, Legacy

Everyone knows Buzz Aldrin was the second person to walk on the Moon — but few people are sure whether he still talks to Neil Armstrong’s family, or how a bodily function became part of his lunar legacy. This article sorts the facts from the rumors around Aldrin’s Apollo 11 journey, his later controversies, and his life at 95.

Born: January 20, 1930 ·
Moonwalk: July 20, 1969 ·
NASA missions: Gemini 12, Apollo 11 ·
Military rank: Brigadier General, USAF ·
Alma mater: West Point, MIT ScD

The following table summarizes Aldrin’s core biographical data.

The pattern: Aldrin’s career spans military service, advanced engineering education, and two historic NASA missions.

Did Buzz Aldrin attend Neil Armstrong’s funeral?

Neil Armstrong’s family held a private funeral on August 31, 2012, in Ohio. A public memorial service took place at Washington National Cathedral on September 13, 2012. Buzz Aldrin attended that public service, as reported by Entertainment Weekly. The distinction between a private burial and a public memorial has led to persistent confusion online.

Details of Armstrong’s memorial service at National Cathedral

• The service included eulogies from NASA officials and fellow astronauts.
• Thousands of members of the public lined the cathedral grounds.

Aldrin’s attendance and public statements

Aldrin did not speak at the service but was photographed among the attendees. He referenced the event in later interviews as a moment of reflection on the Apollo 11 mission.

What this means: the factual record shows no evidence of a rift over funeral attendance.

What was Buzz Aldrin famous for?

Buzz Aldrin is best known as the lunar module pilot on Apollo 11. On July 20, 1969, he became the second person to set foot on the Moon, stepping onto the lunar surface minutes after Neil Armstrong. He also flew on Gemini 12 in 1966, where he performed a record-breaking spacewalk.

Second person to walk on the Moon

Aldrin’s footprint on the lunar surface is one of the most reproduced images in space history. He spent about two hours on the surface alongside Armstrong, deploying scientific instruments and collecting rock samples (Wikipedia).

Apollo 11 mission

The Apollo 11 mission launched from Kennedy Space Center on July 16, 1969. Aldrin, Armstrong, and command module pilot Michael Collins spent eight days in space. The landing module, Eagle, touched down in the Sea of Tranquility with less than 30 seconds of fuel remaining.

Post-NASA advocacy for Mars exploration

After retiring from NASA in 1971, Aldrin became a prominent advocate for human missions to Mars. He founded the ShareSpace Foundation and has authored multiple books on space travel (Popular Science).

The implication: Aldrin’s post-NASA visibility should not be mistaken for post-mission hostility.

Did Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin get along?

The relationship between Armstrong and Aldrin has been a topic of public speculation for decades. The reality is more nuanced than the drama that online forums suggest.

Relationship during Apollo 11

• Both men were career military officers with engineering backgrounds.
• Aldrin reportedly pushed for the first Moonwalk assignment, but NASA chose Armstrong.
• No documented major conflict exists in mission logs or debriefings.

Contrasting personalities and later interactions

Armstrong was famously private and reclusive after NASA. Aldrin, by contrast, embraced public speaking, media appearances, and even a cameo on The Simpsons. They maintained a professional relationship but were never close friends, according to interviews Aldrin gave after Armstrong’s death (Entertainment Weekly).

The catch: online speculation often conflates professional distance with personal animosity, but documented evidence supports a relationship of mutual respect.

When did Buzz Aldrin pee on the Moon?

One of the more unusual Apollo 11 stories involves Aldrin urinating while on the lunar surface. The event is frequently cited in pop culture, but the details are often muddled.

The urine collection incident during Apollo 11

Aldrin urinated into a collection device built into his spacesuit shortly after stepping onto the Moon. The urine was not released onto the surface — it was stored inside the suit’s internal plumbing. Aldrin himself confirmed the story in an interview clip posted online.

Guinness World Record for first person to relieve themselves on the Moon

Guinness World Records recognized Aldrin as the first person to urinate on the Moon. The record entry notes that the act occurred in a collection device rather than in the open lunar environment. This distinction matters for anyone searching the exact mechanism of “Moon pee.”

The event occurred during the Apollo 11 moonwalk on July 20, 1969, according to Popular Science.

Is Buzz Aldrin still alive?

Yes. As of early 2025, Buzz Aldrin is alive at age 95. He turned 95 on January 20, 2025.

Current status and public appearances

Aldrin maintains an active social media presence, primarily on X (formerly Twitter), where he posts about space policy and his personal projects. He continues to make limited public appearances.

Buzz Aldrin in 2025

In late October 2025, Aldrin was the subject of a false death report when CBS Mornings host Tony Dokoupil mistakenly announced he had died during a broadcast. Dokoupil publicly apologized after the error, as reported by Entertainment Weekly.

Separately, Aldrin’s wife, Anca Faur, died in October 2025 after a private battle with cancer. She passed away two years after the couple married on Aldrin’s 93rd birthday, according to People.

The implication: the false report created confusion, but Aldrin’s ongoing public presence confirms his living status.

Timeline

The pattern: Aldrin’s life follows a clear arc from military service to historic spaceflight to enduring public engagement.

Confirmed facts

• Buzz Aldrin attended Neil Armstrong’s public memorial service on September 13, 2012 (Entertainment Weekly)
• Buzz Aldrin was the second person to walk on the Moon (Wikipedia)
• He urinated into a collection device on the Moon on July 20, 1969 (Popular Science)
• Aldrin is alive as of 2025 (People)
• His wife Anca Faur died in October 2025 (People)

What this means: each of these claims is backed by a named source with no contradictory evidence.

What’s unclear

• Exact details of private conversations between Aldrin and Armstrong
• Precise net worth — estimates vary from $2 million to $12 million (no verified public statement)
• Whether Aldrin had direct contact with Armstrong’s family after his death
• The mechanism of the urine collection device inside the suit
• Aldrin’s exact public speaking fee is not verifiable

The catch: uncertainty persists on these points because the parties involved have not made detailed disclosures.

Quotes

“I have to say, there was some disappointment that the opportunity to be first on the Moon didn’t happen.”

— Buzz Aldrin, reflecting on the Apollo 11 crew’s internal dynamics (YouTube interview)

“Guinness World Records recognizes Buzz Aldrin as the first person to urinate on the Moon.”

— Guinness World Records (Popular Science)

“The Apollo 11 crew showed that with the right training and equipment, humans can accomplish the extraordinary.”

— NASA, Apollo 11 mission summary

For readers exploring other historic figures, the story of Jacques Cartier: Explorer Who Named Canada offers a parallel narrative of exploration and legacy. The connection between space exploration and musical genius can be seen in Brian May: Health, Wealth, IQ & Relationships Revealed, where the Queen guitarist’s astrophysics background meets pop culture.

The thread that runs through Buzz Aldrin’s life — from lunar footsteps to TV hoaxes to the loss of his wife — is that public fascination with the Apollo 11 astronauts has never dimmed, even 56 years after the Moon landing. For Aldrin himself, the choice is clear: continue speaking to the public about space exploration, or retire into quiet obscurity. His social media presence and ongoing public appearances suggest he has made his decision.