Magnificent Desolation_ The Long Journey Home From the Moon - Buzz Aldrin [129]
Disney didn’t pay me a penny for associating my name with the Buzz Lightyear character, but I’ve had a good relationship with the Disney organization over the years, and we’ve had a lot of fun together. And of course, Buzz’s motto—“To infinity and beyond!”—is one that I could heartily endorse, albeit tongue-in-cheek.
I got to the place where I started referring to the Buzz Lightyear character as my cousin, and people loved it. Often, when I am in the middle of a speaking engagement, I will draw a twelve-inch-high Buzz Lightyear action figure out from behind the podium, and no matter how erudite, scientific, intellectual, or academic the audience, Buzz always gets a good response. It also creates a moment when I can talk about inspiring the next generation of children to explore space.
When Disney managed to secure a spot on the space shuttle Discovery for Buzz Lightyear to actually travel to the International Space Station in 2008, it was big news. We did an “instructional” video piece, to be disseminated on YouTube, in which I coached Buzz Lightyear on some of the finer points of space travel. “I know where you are going,” I told Buzz. “I’ve been in space two times. I’ve walked on the moon. Before we can let you go into space, you have to pass a battery of tests. Are you ready?”
We then put Buzz through his tests: the antigravity test, in which we plunged Buzz into a home aquarium filled with water and live fish; the fitness test, in which I put Buzz on a treadmill and turned it on, which sent him tumbling across the room; the centrifuge test, in which I put Buzz in the clothes dryer along with a load of clothes and turned it on. Poor Buzz was sent tumbling again. For the crash-landing test, we hung Buzz from a tree by his parachute cords; and for the rocket test, we attached a firecracker to Buzz’s life support pack and blasted him to infinity and beyond. After all these tests, I held the Buzz Lightyear action figure close to my face and said, “Congratulations! You are cleared for launch.” Then, in a grandfatherly tone, I looked at Buzz and said, “Just remember one thing: I’m the real Buzz.” We had great fun doing the video, and when Buzz Lightyear actually flew on the Discovery, a live “Woody” character was at Cape Kennedy to see him off, along with hundreds of Buzz Lightyear fans.
Buzz’s journey was part of NASA’s “Toys in Space” initiative. The program was designed to encourage students to pursue studies in science and mathematics, subjects that are vitally important in sustaining U.S. economic competitiveness and technological leadership. Buzz stayed in space at the International Space Station for several months before returning to a hero’s welcome and, of course, a new “Toy Story Mania!” attraction at the Disney theme parks.
I’ve enjoyed working with Disney to inspire older kids and adults to think more about space as well. When Disney opened its “Mission Space” attraction at Epcot Center in Florida, then-CEO Michael Eisner invited me to test it out for accuracy and authenticity. The attraction launches visitors into a simulated space adventure, complete with a pulse-pounding liftoff followed by the sensation of weightlessness in outer space. After testing the ride, I was quite impressed. I told Michael, “This is the closest thing to spaceflight that most people will ever experience. When those rockets ignite for liftoff, you feel an increase in g force, just like the real thing.” Of course, through Share-Space, I hope to allow people to actually experience the real thing in the near future.
I’ll take almost any opportunity to share space with the next generation. I’ve written two children’s books, Reaching for the Moon and Look to the Stars, and have spoken in schools all over America, but I’ve discovered that I can also be effective, and often reach many more children,