10 Questions for Buzz Aldrin

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TIME's interview with the legendary former astronaut continues on Time.com. Read these extra questions with Buzz Aldrin.

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The second person to ever set foot on the moon answers readers' questions with TIME's Carolyn Sayre

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Buzz Aldrin

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What did it feel like to land on the moon? —Amor Detalla, Tagum, Philippines
That question has been asked a thousand times. It is very difficult to convey to somebody who is not familiar with all of the training and preparations we went through, because that is what resulted in the feelings we had. We had to do everything we humanly could to guarantee success. It was a time of reflecting on the bigger meaning of things and being in awe of the visual situation and experience. There was a sense that our souls were linked with the entire world.

Did anything humorous happen on your mission? —Eve McGivern, Pittsburgh
[Laughs] Mike Collins called Neil the "Tsar" and I said a couple of humorous things for levity. When Houston cleared us for liftoff I said, "Roger, we are number one on the runway." When we landed on the moon I said, "Be careful not to lock the hatch on the way out." It wasn't appreciated at the time.

Interest in math and science has been on the decline in the United States. How can we captivate and inspire future generations? —Vince Indriolo, Chicago
That is an excellent question. We lag behind other countries in our schooling and I think we have to stimulate the political people to appreciate science. That can help make it filter down to parents and school systems and perhaps make this universal throughout the country. It is very crucial. In society there is a fascination with sports, music and Hollywood heroes, but not educated heroes. We need to change that somehow.

Do you feel that NASA specifically, and the United States in general, still have the same clear vision of space exploration that existed in the 1960's? —Jeremy Slater, Houston, Texas
No. I think we understand space exploration much better than we did back then. It is difficult to develop transportation systems that are economical and efficient. When we did get to the moon with Apollo it was very effective and efficient, but the flight rate was not high enough to justify making it reusable.