What's The Buzz? Press Release
February 25th, 2004
Buzz Aldrin has had another taste of space travel, this time during the launch of Disney World’s newest thrill-ride – Mission: SPACE. Buzz rocketed to Mars on the world's most expensive roller coaster and loved every minute of it. On October 9th, Buzz joined Disney Chairman Michael Eisner in dedicating the new attraction along with Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, and NASA administrator Sean O'Keefe. Also in attendance were fellow astronauts Jim Lovell, Wally Schirra, Mae Jemison and Guion Bluford. Underwritten by HP, the hi-tech Mission: SPACE lets thrill-seekers experience what it’s like to blast off towards the stars. To help give the ride as much of a feeling of reality as possible, Disney worked hand-in-hand with NASA, incorporating actual technology used by the space agency – including solid hydrogen fuel and aerospike rocket engines. As part of the promotion for Mission: SPACE, Buzz was featured with actor Jerry O’Connell in the Disney interstitial which aired last month on ABC. And at Michael Eisner’s personal request, Buzz joined Eisner for the “Voice of Disney” to introduce Toy Story 2 this month on the Wide World of Disney. As is often the case with Aldrin’s demanding schedule, the Epcot Center event was just the first stop on a whirlwind of appearances that brought Buzz and his wife, Lois, to Japan, Australia, and the Kingdom of Jordan. First stop: Buzz spent a day and a half in Tokyo, Japan to attend the Association of Space Explorers 18th Annual Conference. The ASE comprises over 250 individuals from 28 nations who have flown in space and serves as an international nonprofit organization promoting human space exploration and education. Second stop: Sydney, Australia – where Buzz addressed Commercial Radio Australia’s national conference, sharing his profound experience of watching the earth from space. “We weren’t celebrating technology; we were celebrating humanity,” he said in his remarks. Buzz went on to talk about radio’s role in bringing people together. “I have come to believe that the final frontier may be human relationships, and the job of bringing these relationships together may be the media’s greatest challenge.” While in Sydney, Buzz took time out long enough for an interview – live via satellite on CNBC– as the world reacted to China sending its first “Taikonaut” into earth orbit. Third stop: A special invitation by the Royal Family of Jordan, King Abdullah and Queen Rania. Buzz and Lois appeared as part of “The Jewel that is Jordan” tour, which featured 50 luxury vehicles, mostly Bentleys and Rolls Royces, on a leisurely journey around the country’s historical sites. The event was billed as the world’s most expensive car rally and featured, amongst others, Lord Cope, the Conservative Chief Whip in the House of Lords, and Lord Montagu of Beaulieu. Patty Hearst, the heiress and former teenage revolutionary, was also a guest on the tour. The idea was inspired, in part, by T.E. Lawrence’s journey across the desert, as featured in the Academy Award winning film Lawrence of Arabia. Buzz was able to take time away from the tour, visiting schools in Amman where he was able to share his experiences in space with local school children. To join in on this year’s Centennial of Flight celebrations, Buzz’ non-profit ShareSpace Foundation has partnered with Aviation Weekto co-host the Next Century of Flight Space Imperatives (NCSFI) Symposium & Gala, to be held in Washington, D.C. on December 17th and 18th. The conference will gather together into one forum our nation’s elite space experts to build unity in shaping a new vision for America’s future in space exploration and travel.
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