Second man to walk on the moon Buzz Aldrin, 96, 'absolutely amazed' by Artemis II mission - and is now calling for NASA to 'occupy Mars'

By CAROLINE GRAHAM, US EDITOR THE MAIL ON SUNDAY Published: 00:56, 5 April 2026 | Updated: 00:56, 5 April 2026 Legendary astronaut Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon, has been cheering on the Artemis II mission this week. The 96-year-old watched the spacecraft's launch on Wednesday and was 'absolutely amazed' at the sight, according to his longtime friend Steven Barber. Documentary filmmaker Mr Barber, 65, said: 'Buzz has been in a spirited mood all week. He's been watching Artemis.  'He's absolutely amazed that they used a lot of his ideas through the years. He's giddy about it all and kept saying: 'Now it's time to occupy Mars!' Buzz became an iconic figure when he became the second man to set foot on the moon's surface after Neil Armstrong during the Apollo 11 mission in 1969. Armstrong died in 2012. The Artemis II flight is the first time NASA has sent astronauts on a moon mission since December 1972 when the Apollo program came to an end. Last October, he was left heartbroken after the 'love of his life', fourth wife Dr Anca Faur, 66, died after battling a virulent cancer, and has been 'learning to laugh and smile' again. Mr Barber said: 'You could see the joy in his eyes. He has the NASA feed on his TV all day. This is an awesome thing for him to watch.  Buzz Aldrin (right) watched Artemis II's launch on Wednesday and was 'absolutely amazed' at the sight, according to his longtime friend Steven Barber (left) Buzz (pictured) became an iconic figure when he became the second man to set foot on the moon's surface after Neil Armstrong during the Apollo 11 mission in 1969 In an iconic photograph taken by Neil Armstrong, Mr Aldrin (pictured) is seen planting the US flag on the moon 'To know NASA is going back to the moon so many years after he and Neil Armstrong first set foot there makes Buzz very happy. 'He told me he was glad we were going back. He said: This is fantastic. They are following in our footsteps. It is long overdue.' Following his wife's death, friends feared for Buzz's wellbeing as he struggled to cope, refusing to eat and saying at one point: 'I don't know how I am going to go on without her. I don't know if I want to live without Anca.' But, as these exclusive Mail on Sunday photographs show, Buzz is enjoying time with friends again. Mr Barber, who has known Buzz since 2001, told the MoS last night: 'Buzz has always been a fighter and he is doing much better.  'He is learning to laugh and smile again and his sense of humour is back. Many of us were desperately worried when Anca died. She was the love of his life and he never expected her to go first. 'They were living in her tiny apartment in Los Angeles and he was overwhelmed with grief when she passed and kept saying he didn't know how he would live without her. 'The place was piled high with clutter and we (his friends and family) were incredibly worried for his welfare. He lay on his bed and the life seemed to be draining out of him. I thought he would die of a broken heart. Last October, Mr Aldrin (left) was left heartbroken after the 'love of his life', fourth wife Dr Anca Faur (right) died after battling a virulent cancer  'But he's a fighter. He's from that generation which never gave up. His family moved him into a lovely place overlooking the Pacific Ocean last December and he has three full-time nurses caring for him around-the-clock.  'Being in a new place and being well taken care of has made all the difference. His spark and zest for life is back.' When Buzz made history he was married to Joan Archer, mother of his three children - sons James and Andrew and daughter Janice - but that union ended after 20 years because of the astronaut's self-professed alcoholism and womanising. In his memoir, Return to Earth, Buzz wrote how, when the ticker tape parades ended, he sought solace in the bottom of a bottle 'because I didn't know what else to do.  'I was one of the most famous men on the planet but the mission was over. The plaudits died down and I sank into a deep depression.' He had a brief three-year marriage to model Beverly Van Zile which ended in 1978 and then wed Lois Driggs Cannon in 1988. That marriage ended in 2012. Mr Barber credits Buzz with saving his life when he met him at a meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous in December 2001. He said: 'I was a terrible drunk. I was going to walk out but when I saw Buzz I thought: 'Well, if this works for someone like him then maybe I should stay?' The pair became firm friends and Barber - who has had three movies shortlisted for the Oscars - ended up raising the funds for an Apollo 11 bronze monument called 'The Eagle Has Landed' which sits outside the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Barber said: 'I'm telling this story because people around the world care about him. 'He's one of those handful of people who, when you say his name, everyone on the planet from London to Beijing to the mountains of Nepal, all instantly know who he is. 'He wants people to know he's doing OK.' No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.