This endorsement is out of this world.
Buzz Aldrin, the legendary astronaut and second human to walk on the moon, is giving former President Donald Trump his official stamp of approval.
“Over time, I have seen our government’s approach to space wax and wane. But under the first Trump Administration, I was impressed to see how human space exploration was elevated as a policy of high importance again,” the 94-year-old wrote on X Wednesday.
Aldrin cited several Trump accomplishments such as the reinstitution of the National Space Council, the formation of the US Space Force and private-sector gains with space technology.
“For me, for the future of our country, to meet enormous challenges, and for the proven policy accomplishments above, I believe we are best served by voting for Donald J. Trump. I wholeheartedly endorse him for President of the United States,” he added.
“The Presidency requires clarity in judgment, decisiveness, and calm under pressure that few have a natural ability to manage, or the life experience to successfully undertake,” Aldrin stressed. “The job requires sober analysis of frightening scenarios, and the instinct to lead with resolve.”
Trump invited Aldrin to the Oval Office in 2019 to mark the 50th anniversary of the moon landing.
During that meeting, the former Air Force fighter pilot explained how he had been “disappointed” with the government’s handling of space exploration over recent decades and dinged NASA’s plans at the time to return to the moon.
But on Wednesday, Aldrin concluded that Trump “reignited national efforts to get back to the Moon, and push on to Mars.”
Aldrin has been supportive of Republicans in the past and even spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference in 2016.
The nonagenarian is one of the four living humans who have set foot on the moon.
Since July, Trump has courted close relations with SpaceX founder Elon Musk, which is developing its reusable super-heavy Starship system.
Aldrin also heaped praise Wednesday on Musk’s advancements in spaceflight.
“I have been enthused and excited by the great advancements in the private sector space economy, led by visionaries like Elon Musk. These are concrete accomplishments that align with my concerns and America’s policy priorities,” he added.
NASA has been working on its Space Launch System super-heavy vehicle, with similar capabilities that wouldn’t be reusable. Its Artemis III program is aiming to send astronauts back to the moon in September 2026.
From there, NASA is tentatively hoping to send astronauts to Mars sometime in the 2030s. Musk, meanwhile, is hoping to blast five crewless rockets to the red planet in about two years.
Trump has mused about tapping Musk to run a government efficiency program if he wins back the White House next Tuesday.