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In reply to the discussion: 89-year old Buzz Aldrin approached by a moon landing denier. This is BEAUTIFUL!! [View all]LastLiberal in PalmSprings
(12,586 posts)As an aside, did you know Buzz Aldrin's father -- who had been lobbying hard to have his son leave the LEM first -- criticized his son for not being the first person to set foot on the moon? It had been a pattern in their relationship -- nothing that Buzz did was ever good enough for his father.
NASA had selected Armstrong because they wanted the first step to be made by a civilian astronaut, and not one affiliated with the military. Also, Neil was known for being a modest and humble man, while Aldrin was considered to be a brilliant but troubled loner who did not work well with others. (See, those comments on your elementary school report cards eventually come back to haunt you.)
As the highest paid astronaut, Armstrong made $27,401 a year (about $191,000 in today's dollars). Break it down, and he was paid about $33 an hour ($233 in 2019) for the two hours and 40 minutes he spent walking on the moon.