Haifa, 26 July 2016, by Sanja Scepanovic - As teaching associates (TAs) at SSP16, we are given several roles during the program, in addition to the academic role in our particular Department or Team Project (TP). One of those additional roles this year is to meet and greet particular VIPs, including guest chairs, lecturers, panelists and other visitors to our program.

Andrea and Sanja, SSP16 TAs, with Buzz

Together with another TA, I was lucky to be assigned this time to meet Edwin Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the Moon. Knowing how busy he is, my expectation was that I might just be there to hand him or his assistant the welcome bag (a present with spacey and Israeli goodies given to all the participants and staff). However, we turned out to be additionally lucky. Upon his arrival to the Bay View hotel in Haifa and after a long transAtlantic flight from the US, Buzz was surprisingly energetic and motivated to talk with John, the SSP director, and us. Moreover, while his personal assistant and son, Andrew, went to have a dinner, Buzz skipped it and kept on talking to us for another 2 hours about his ideas for going to Mars and building a base on the Moon to support this plan. His energy, enthusiasm and zeal were impressive, even for our age, and not 86.

Remco, SSP16 co-chair and social media manager, with Buzz

ISU is great since such extraordinary experiences are given to all of us – both the participants and staff. Many were lucky to talk to and get their picture taken with Buzz, and we all listened to his big plans and ideas on how to ‘Get Your Ass to Mars’ during the Gerald A. Soffen Memorial Lecture he gave on July 26.

SSP16 participants and staff with Buzz