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On July 20, 1969, NASA's Apollo 11 mission successfully landed on the Moon, ending the space race abruptly. Neil Armstrong marked history by jumping from the lunar lander Eagle and delivering his legendary speech "a small step" in front of millions of anxious people watching on Earth. A few minutes later, his colleague Aldrin followed in his footsteps and the couple buried the American flag in a dusty surface.
However, Aldrin, now 89, once admitted, he thinks things should have been different.
In an extremely candid interview of 1973, the veteran explained his pride of having been chosen for the first mission in space.
He said: "I like to be associated with the fact that I was on the first lunar landing mission instead of being the second man to walk on the moon.
"But it does not bother me particularly, it annoys my father enormously.
Buzz Aldrin was disappointed with Apollo 11 (Image: GETTY)
The crew of Apollo 11 in 1969 (Image: GETTY)
I've definitely been disappointed
"He is always looking for the best thing for his offspring."
Aldrin explained how NASA officials made the decision a month before the flyover to know who would be the first to walk on the moon.
However, he was not impressed.
He added: "I was definitely disappointed [at the time].
"But I think my life would have been a little more hectic if I had been first.
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Neil Armstrong was the first man on the moon (Image: GETTY)
"Who knows, I may have even decided to become a university professor like Neil did.
"I'm sure there would be hard times if I did it again, but after going through it once, I would be a much smarter person."
Aldrin may have been right, if former NASA director Christopher Kraft did not get involved.
The Apollo 8 planner, who has passed left on July 22 of this year, during Altitude Film's "Armstrong" documentary, he declared that he was solely responsible for choosing the first man on the moon.
He said: "Did I have anything to do with Neil being the first man on the moon? Yes. I did it.
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Armstrong became an overnight legend (Image: GETTY)
Buzz Aldrin was the second man on Monday (Image: GETTY)
"Deke Slayton said:" Aldrin will be the first man on the moon ", but here [in my head] says "we do not want Aldrin on the moon".
"I thought Buzz was not the right personality and would not be the best representative for the United States.
"I thought Neil would do better.
"I did not hate Aldrin, I did not like him either, we all have weaknesses, I did not know Jesus when I met him."
How did the Apollo 11 mission unfold? (Image: DX)
However, Aldrin should not think himself so unlucky.
Author James Donovan asserted that none of the Apollo 11 astronauts should have headed the line.
He said in his new book "Shoot for the Moon" that Gus Grissom of Apollo 1 would have been the first man on the moon if he had not died in the tragic accident.
His book reads as follows: "In early 1969, the landing of the Moon was only in the planning stages.
"The lunar module has not been tested in space yet, and some NASA members thought Apollo 10 should test if Apollo 9 was going well.
"No one at the agency – neither Bob Gilrush, nor Chris Kraft, nor Deke Slayton – knew with certainty what mission would be the one that would land on the moon.
"If Gus Grissom was still alive, all agreed that he was the only one to order it.
"But he was not so good for potential commanders, Deke preferred McDivitt, Borman, Stafford, Armstrong and Conrad, and those shots, in that order, would lead Apollo 8 to Apollo 12."
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