23.07.2018

The black-tie Apollo Celebration Gala is held under a Saturn V rocket at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., on Saturday, July 21, 2018. The event kicked off a yearlong celebration of the upcoming 50-year anniversary of the first moon landing, and featured a panel discussion by astronauts, an awards ceremony and an auction of space memorabilia.

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Former NASA astronaut Buzz Aldrin was noticeably absent from a gala kicking off a yearlong celebration of the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing, even though his nonprofit space education foundation is a sponsor and he typically is the star attraction.

Aldrin said he didn't attend because of objections over the foundation's current aims and ongoing legal matters associated with the foundation. The former astronaut is locked in a legal battle with family members who say he is suffering from mental decline.

The black-tie Apollo Celebration Gala was held Saturday under a Saturn V rocket at the Kennedy Space Center, featured a panel discussion by astronauts, an awards ceremony, and an auction of space memorabilia.

Hundreds of people attended the sold-out event, including British physicist Brian Cox, who presented Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson with the ShareSpace Foundation's Innovation award.

Branson, whose company is developing a new generation of commercial spacecraft, said in a recorded video that the Apollo missions influenced his generation.

"Space is still hard, really hard. It still really matters," Branson said. "There would be no Virgin Galactic, no Virgin Orbit and no spaceship company had it not been for Apollo astronauts and the thousands of talented people who made their mission possible."

Aldrin, Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins took part in the historic Apollo 11 mission, landing the first two humans on the moon on July 20, 1969. Armstrong was first to walk on the moon, joined soon after by Aldrin while Collins remained in orbit aboard the command module.

Dr. Carolyn Williams of the nonprofit From One Hand To AnOTHER received the foundation's Education award, and former Johnson Space Center director Gerry Griffin, a flight director for all of the crewed Apollo missions, was honored with the Pioneer award.

"It's very humbling, it kind of came out of the blue," Griffin said. "It is so neat to know that we've passed the torch that will let this next generation take us to this next step."

That next step, Griffin said, is a return of Americans to the Moon and, eventually, Mars — something former Apollo astronauts Walt Cunningham, Harrison Schmitt, Rusty Schweickart and Tom Stafford discussed during a conversation with Cox.

"We're sort of going through a second door here. The door isn't all the way open — we haven't gone all the way through it — but it's cracked open," Schweickart, who flew as the lunar module pilot on Apollo 9, told The Associated Press. "Space is going to be much less expensive to go to, and that's going to open up not just opportunities for people to fly, but because of the decreased cost, real opportunities for innovators to generate new ideas and to do things that have never been done before."

Aldrin's ShareSpace Foundation is one of the sponsors of the annual gala, which raises money for Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics — or STEAM education — and Astronaut Scholarship Foundation scholarships.

Renowned Brazilian pop artist Romero Britto donated artwork from his "Buzz Aldrin Space Series" for the auction, which also included a behind-the-scenes tour of Virgin Galactic in California and autographed space memorabilia. Tickets for the event ranged from $750 to $2,500 per person.

Aldrin sued two of his adult children and a former business manager last month, accusing them of misusing his credit cards, transferring money from an account and slandering him by saying he has dementia. Weeks before that, Andrew and Jan Aldrin filed a petition claiming their 88-year-old father was suffering from memory loss, delusions, paranoia and confusion.

Andrew and Jan Aldrin and business manager Christina Korp are on the foundation's board and attended the gala. Aldrin's oldest son, James, isn't involved in the legal fight.

Buzz Aldrin said in a statement that he didn't attend "due to the present course of events related to my space initiatives, also current legal matters linked to the ShareSpace Foundation."

"I formed ShareSpace Foundation in 1998 for the promotion of individual space voyagers," Aldrin added. "The Foundation is, in my view, now being used to promote quite different objectives."

Andrew Aldrin acknowledged his father's absence during the gala.

"We're sorry dad can't be here, I know some of you are disappointed," Aldrin said. "Ultimately, what we're about is creating the first generation of Martians."

Quelle: abcNews

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Buzz Aldrin explains why he was a no-show at Apollo 11 gala at Kennedy Space Center

Apollo 11 moonwalker Buzz Aldrin was noticeably absent from a gala at Kennedy Space Center kicking off a yearlong celebration of the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing, even though the event is an important fundraiser for his foundation and he typically is the star attraction.

Organizers had not heard if Aldrin was going to attend Saturday evening’s black-tie Apollo Celebration Gala at KSC’s Apollo/Saturn V Center, but expected him to be a no-show.

Aldrin, 88, of Satellite Beach, told FLORIDA TODAY in a statement that he stayed away due to a legal fight within his family and disagreements over the direction of Buzz Aldrin’s ShareSpace Foundation.

“While initially looking forward to it, due to the present course of events related to my space initiative, also current legal matters linked to the ShareSpace Foundation, I have decided not to attend at this time,” he wrote. “As some of you are aware, I formed ShareSpace Foundation in 1998 for the promotion of individual space voyagers. However, the foundation is, in my view, now being used to promote quite different objectives. I was recently advised by way of a letter from an attorney for my son, Andrew Aldrin, that I was not to hold myself as being part of the foundation. To those of you attending the gala tonight, I wish you a most pleasant evening. Ad Astra!”

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Aldrin’s absence occurred a month after he sued two of his adult children and a former business manager, accusing them of misusing his credit cards, transferring money from an account, and slandering him by saying he has dementia.

Just weeks before, his children, Andrew and Jan, had filed a petition claiming their father was suffering from memory loss, delusions, paranoia and confusion.

Andrew and Jan Aldrin, as well as business manager Christina Korp, are on the foundation’s board and participated in Saturday evening’s gala.

Late Saturday, Andy and Jan issued a statement thanking event supporters and paying tribute to their father.

“It has been an honor to celebrate the heroes of Apollo, with crew members in attendance from the Apollo 7, 9, 10 & 17 missions as we lead up to the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 and next summer’s Gala,” they said. “On a personal note, we were disappointed not to be celebrating with the most important of those heroes to us, our father.  But we remain committed to honoring his legacy as a true American hero through the important work of our family foundation.  He is still a part of the foundation and its board of directors. We look forward to continuing our work together in the future.”

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Aldrin’s ShareSpace Foundation is one of the sponsors of the annual gala, which raises money for space education and Astronaut Scholarship Foundation scholarships.

The gala for up to 400 guests was held under a Saturn V rocket and featured a panel discussion by astronauts, an awards ceremony and an auction of space memorabilia.

Tickets ranged from $750 to $2,500 per person. Filet mignon was on the menu.

Among those honored with an award was Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson. Former Apollo astronauts in the lineup were Walt Cunningham, Harrison Schmitt, Rusty Schweickart and Tom Stafford, along with Gerry Griffin, a lead flight director for three lunar landings.

Buzz Aldrin, along with Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins, was part of the Apollo 11 mission that landed the first two humans on the moon on June 20, 1969.

In Aldrin’s lawsuit, the former astronaut asked a judge to remove Andrew Aldrin from control of his financial affairs, social media accounts, and several nonprofit and business enterprises. Andrew Aldrin had been a trustee of his father’s trust. Buzz Aldrin said in the complaint that despite revoking the power of attorney he had given his son, Andrew Aldrin continued making financial decisions for him.

Aldrin’s oldest son, James, isn’t involved in the legal fight.

In a statement released last month, Andrew and Janice Aldrin said they’re saddened by the “unjustifiable” lawsuit.

Quelle: Florida Today