IT'S THE NUMBER 1 CHOICE IN
CHINA.
NOW BUZZ ALDRIN FELL IN LOVE
WITH AIRPLANES AND FLYING TO THE
MOON WHEN HE WAS JUST A BOY.
GRADUATED FROM WEST POINT AND
WENT ON TO THE AIR FORCE AND GOT
HIS DOCTORATE FROM MI T AND DID
4 SPACE WALKS TOTALING 8 HOURS
IN SPACE.
50 YEARS AGO TOMORROW THE WORLD
HELD ITS BREATH AND WATCHED AS
HE AND NEIL ARMSTRONG AND
MICHAEL COLLINS WERE THE FIRST
MEN TO LAND ON THE MOON.
HE SPENT HIS LIFE INSPIRING
AMERICANS TO GO FURTHER IN SPACE
AND FOUNDED A TECHNOLOGY COMPANY
TO DO THAT.
HE IS AN AMERICAN HERO AND A
SPACE PIONEER.
BUZZ ALDRIN THANK YOU VERY MUCH
FOR BEING ON THE "STORY"
TONIGHT.
>> THANK YOU.
I HAVE LOOKED FORWARD TO THIS.
>> Martha: IT'S WONDERFUL TO
HAVE YOU HERE TONIGHT.
WATCHING YOUR MOMENTS IN THE
OVAL OFFICE TODAY.
YOU SAID THAT YOU ARE FRANKLY
DISAPPOINTED WHEN YOU LOOK BACK
AT THE LAST 10 TO 15 YEARS OF
NSA.
NASA.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN?
>> WELL, I THINK WE JUST HAVE
NOT DEVELOPED THE HIGHEST
PERFORMANCE, ROCKETS AND THE
APPROPRIATE SPACECRAFT THAT WE
SHOULD HAVE TO BE ABLE TO CARRY
OUT OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE
HAVE AND ARE FACING.
WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH WHAT WE
HAVE.
WE WILL MAKE THE VERY MOST OF IT
AND I THINK I CAN CONTRIBUTE
IDEAS TO HELP IT COME OUT VERY,
VERY WELL.
>> Martha: GIVE ME JUST ONE OF
THOSE.
IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE THING
ABOUT THE CURRENT SPACE PROGRAM
OR FINANCING, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
>> WELL, I THINK WE NEED TO GO
FROM EARTH ORBIT TO LUNAR ORBIT
AND BACK AND FORTH RATHER THAN A
GATEWAY.
I THINK THAT'S A DIVERSION -- WE
ARE FORCED INTO IT BECAUSE OF
THE LACK OF PERFORMANCE OF THE
LARGE ROCKET AND THE HEAVY
SPACECRAFT.
BUT IF WE WERE TO USE 2 ROCKETS
AND PROVIDE THE PROPULSION AND
TAKE THE SPACECRAFT TO THE MOON,
THEN WE COULD GO BACK AND FORTH
BETWEEN ORBIT AND THE OTHER.
WITH A VERY CAPABLE FUELLING ON
THE SURFACE, WE WOULD BE
LEARNING STEP-BY-STEP THE SORT
OF THINGS THAT IN 5 TO 15 YEARS
WILL ENABLE US TO GET TO MARS.
>> Martha: SORRY TO INTERRUPT.
YOU ARE ANXIOUS TO STEP ON THE
GAS PEDAL.
LISTEN TO THIS BACK AND FORTH
TODAY BETWEEN ALL OF YOU IN THE
OVAL OFFICE AND THEN I WANT YOUR
THOUGHTS.
>> TO GET TO THE MARS YOU HAVE
TO LAND ON THE MOON THEY SAY.
ANY WAY OF GOING DIRECTLY
WITHOUT LANDING ON THE MOON?
>> WELL, WE WILL USE THE MOON AS
A PROVING GROUND.
WHEN WE GO TO MARS, WE WILL HAVE
TO BE THERE FOR A LONG PERIOD OF
TIME.
WE HAVE TO LEARN TO LIVE AND
WORK ON ANOTHER PLANET.
>> HOW LONG THE TRIP TO MARS?
>> 7 MONTH JOURNEY THERE.
THE CHALLENGE IS EARTH AND MARS
ARE ONLY THE SAME SIDE OF THE
SUN ONCE EVERY 26 MONTHS.
>> WHAT DO YOU THINK?
>> WE COME BACK AND TRY AGAIN.
>> YES.
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT IT?
>> MARS DIRECT.
>> YOU LIKE IT DIRECT?
>> YES.
>> IT SEEMS TO ME MARS DIRECT.
WHO KNOWS BETTER THAN THESE
PEOPLE?
>> Martha: WHEN THERE IS A
CONTROVERSIAL SUBJECT THE
PRESIDENT DOES A MASTER PLAY.
WE GETS EVERYBODY TO WEIGH IN.
MICHAEL COLLINS SAID NO, MARS
DIRECT.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
>> WELL, ANYTHING CAN BE DONE.
IT'S SO MUCH MORE LOGICAL TO
LEARN ALL OF THE STEPS THAT NEED
TO BE TAKEN AT THE MOON, ALL OF
THE CONDITIONS, THE RESOURCES.
THE LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEMS.
ALL OF THE THINGS THAT YOU WOULD
LIKE TO KNOW BEFORE YOU SET OUT
TO BE STAYING MAYBE YOUR WHOLE
LIFE ONCE YOU GET TO MARS.
WE COULD LEARN ALL OF THESE
THINGS.
BESIDES OTHER NATIONS COULD HELP
US BECAUSE THEY WANT TO GO BACK
TO THE MOON AND WE COULD SHARE
THE COSTS AND BUILD A TRUE
ALLIANCE OF ALL OF THE
CAPABILITIES AND HOPEFULLY PLAN
TO GO THERE.
IT WOULD NOT BE AT ALL HELPFUL
TO BE COMPETING FOR THE MOON OR
MARS.
THAT'S VERY WASTEFUL.
ABOVE THE ATMOSPHERE AND INTO
ORBIT ALL NATIONS CAN AND SHOULD
COOPERATE TOGETHER AND LEARN HOW
WE CAN WORK AND HELP EACH OTHER
AND TAKE CARE OF WHAT IS FOUND
UNDERNEATH US.
THIS IS WHERE ALL OF THE PEOPLE
ARE.
WE ARE OUT THERE AND WE CAN
EXPLORE BUT WE NEED TO DO THAT
TOGETHER.
>> Martha: THE SURVEY AND SO
MANY KIDS IN AMERICA WANT TO
youTUBE STARS AND KIDS IN CHINA
WANT TO BE ASTRONAUTS.
YOUR THOUGHTS?
>> I AM NOT TOO SURPRISED.
50 YEARS AGO, BEING AN ASTRONAUT
WAS A NEW THING TO DO.
IT'S CERTAINLY A NEW THING FOR
PEOPLE IN CHINA TO THINK ABOUT
DOING THAT.
IT'S A TRIBUTE TO THEIR
IMAGINATION OF WANTING TO DO
THAT.
IF WE LOST THAT, THAT'S WHY
THESE 5 DECADES OF APOLLO IS
TRYING TO INSPIRE WHAT THIS
NATION DID 50 YEARS AGO AND WE
WILL GET CAUGHT UP AGAIN CAN
BEING ABLE TO DO THINGS OF THAT
INSPIRATION.
>> Martha: I HOPE YOU ARE RIGHT.