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Buzz Aldrin, second man to walk on the moon, calls home Space Coast. With the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11, how (and where) will it celebrate?
Florida Today

Buzz Aldrin is sure to play a role in the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 – but no plans have been announced.

On July 20, 1969, astronaut Buzz Aldrin, pilot of the lunar module of the first lunar landing mission , posed for a photo next to the deployed flag of the United States during an Apollo 11 moonwalk. The lunar module is on the left, and the astronauts' footprints are clearly visible. (Photo: NASA)

Gold anniversaries are a big problem for any occasion.

But for a historic event that changes humanity as the first human step on the moon, the celebration of Apollo 11 in 2019 in Brevard County Jobs – the first step From the Glorious Saga of Earth to the Moon –

"The Space Coast will once again attract worldwide attention as we celebrate this historic anniversary and truly crown our efforts in space exploration in as a country, "said Jennifer Sugarman, President and CEO of the Cocoa Beach Regional Chamber of Commerce.

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To find out more: ] NASA plans a return to the moon in a decade – bu This time the astronauts will stay there

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Planning is already underway for a five-day series Events starting July 16, when Neil Armstrong , Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins took off from the Kennedy Space Center at the top of a Saturn V rocket, until July 20, when the Eagle landed and Armstrong and Aldrin [19659013] Preliminary ideas include a parade of astronauts through Cocoa Beach to Corvettes, seminars, a pub crawl and a firework display before culminating in a gala evening at KSC.

I was on the moon! # Apollo11 ​​ @NASA https://t.co/6Nb2cQVU32

– Buzz Aldrin (@TheRealBuzz) July 21, 2018

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Gala of the Apollo's party at the Kennedy Space Center kicked off a one-year celebration of the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing. Apollo astronauts reflect on their missions in interviews with the Associated Press. (July 23)
AP

Expect hotel rooms to be booked quickly and restaurants near KSC and Cocoa Beach to be hectic, while the global spotlight shines again on the coast of Vancouver. Space, especially the day of the launch. an impending question is what role will Aldrin, the second man on the moon, play in a legal dispute with his family and non-profit foundation?

For more information: Buzz Aldrin's children accuse the & dquo; opportunistic & nbsp; & nbsp; to enjoy their father

To learn more: Buzz Aldrin explains why he was a no-show at the Apollo 11 Gala at the KSC [19659013] The 88-year-old Satellite Beach resident refused to attend his July 21 KSC Gala, which benefited the Buzz Aldrin ShareSpace Foundation, and the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation (Science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics) educational initiatives. He cited ongoing legal issues and a disagreement on the orientation of the foundation

Official photo of the l 39 Main crew of Apollo 11. From left to right, NASA astronauts, Neil Armstrong, commander; Michael Collins, pilot of the control module; and Buzz Aldrin, pilot of the lunar module. (Photo: NASA)

"I founded ShareSpace Foundation in 1998 for the promotion of individual space travelers," Aldrin said in a statement sent to FLORIDA TODAY'S HUI. "In my opinion, the foundation is now used to promote quite different goals."

At the gala and in a statement that followed, two children from Aldrin, Andrew and Jan, acknowledged the disappointment from the absence of their father.

"But we remain committed to honoring his legacy as a true American hero through the important work of our family foundation," they said in a statement. "He is still part of the foundation and its board of directors and we look forward to continuing our work together in the future."

The children of Aldrin recently asked a court to grant them legal guardianship of their father. Buzz Aldrin, in turn, sued Andrew, Jan and a longtime business manager, alleging fraud and abuse.

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A retrospective look at the greatest moments of the Apollo 11 landing on the moon.
NASA

Buzz Aldrin is working with a new management team and is promoting plans for the creation of a new Houston-based Human Spaceflight institute, separate from the Aldrin space institute that he has established at the Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne. ] No one knows how long the legal issues will take to resolve, and whether they can still suspend the celebrations of the 50th anniversary.

A representative of Buzz Aldrin Ventures and a member of his legal team did not immediately answer questions about his future plans.

Local birthday organizers say that Aldrin 's participation or not next year is not a problem yet.

"We have not even thought about it yet," said Bonnie King, deputy director of the Coastal Space Tourism Bureau. "Right now, we're just trying to put the infrastructure and the plan in place."

King badociates with the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation and the Family Foundation Aldrin for initial planning. should join over time.

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A former concierge. A Satellite graduate who says that the story of NASA is also his story. Teachers. A restaurant owner. Through their eyes, we see how what happened in space in July 1969 changed lives in an iconic part of Florida.
Wochit and Britt Kennerly

For more information: For the moon (and more!): Apollo 11 still inspires generations in space [19659013] More: NASA whiteboards: Intimate look at art by children of astronauts like mom, dad threw in space

She said the celebrations will not only honor past achievements, but will focus on the future involving current astronauts and shuttle-time astronauts, in addition to the legends of Apollo

The events surrounding the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission will boost the local tourism sector, said Puneet "PK" Kapur, chairman of the Brevard County Tourism Development Council

"It will be a good thing," said Kapur, who is General Manager of Holiday Inn Express and Suites Rooms in Palm Bay.

But, as July is already a strong month for tourism, Kapur said it could mean that some visitors to the Apollo 11 events on the Space Coast will be staying in hotels in the Orlando or Daytona Beach area because they can not find a room in Brevard County.

Beyond the space peaks, the Space Coast will certainly attract big names from Hollywood and the Beltway. maybe even from the White House.

But it will also be competing with planned celebrations across the country and the world, around the same time and apparently without much coordination up to now.

Places with major NASA presences, including Houston – the home of mission control and the body of astronauts – and Huntsville, Alabama, will host major events.

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] The Apollo 11 control module has not been seen for 40 years. And in a few months they will be available online for the world to see for free.

In addition, the Columbus Apollo 11 Command Module is conducting a Canada-wide tour (now St. Louis) which, at the time of the anniversary, will end at the Seattle Museum of Flight. . The Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum will unveil Armstrong's space suit, while the Johnson Space Center will restore its historic mission control center. The US Mint will issue coins commemorating Apollo.

NASA is still planning its own lineup, with momentum slated to resume after the space agency celebrates its 60th anniversary this October 1st.

"Even though the unfortunate legal situation does not occur. At this time, there will be many events, all wanting the two surviving members of the Apollo 11 crew to participate in July 2019, "said Robert Pearlman, editor of CollectSpace. com and expert in space history and memories. (Armstrong died in 2012.)

"So, the idea that (Aldrin) does not appear in one place or in another I would not look like a snub, but more than just that it's going to be a very "Pearlman publicly stated his desire to exploit the excitement generated by the Apollo 11 anniversary to spark Public interest and discussions on how to push exploration forward. Its purpose is soul the humans on Mars.

"A lot of things can change in a year, so I will not count anything at this point," Pearlman said. "I hope that by July 2019, the focus will be on the celebration of the crew members, without necessarily focusing on their personal lives."

Dave Berman, Government Editor, contributed to this report.

Contact Price at 321-242-3658

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NASA publishes more than 8,400 mission photos Lunar Apollo.
Apollo's astronauts Buzz Aldrin, Harrison's "Jack" Schmitt, Michael Collins, and Walt Cunningham reflected on US missions on the moon during a gala at the Kennedy Space Center for the founding of Education space of Aldrin .
AP

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