Former Astronaut Buzz Aldrin Married Anca Faur on His 93rd Birthday

For most, birthday celebrations usually look like opening presents from loved ones and blowing out candles before diving into a slice of cake. However, former astronaut Buzz Aldrin celebrated turning 93 a little differently—he chose to mark the occasion by saying “I do” to his longterm girlfriend, Anca Faur. On January 20, 2023, Aldrin shared the exciting news on Twitter. “On my 93rd birthday and the day I will also be honored by Living Legends of Aviation, I am pleased to announce that my long-time love Dr. Anca Faur and I have tied the knot,” his post says. “We were joined in holy matrimony in a small private ceremony in Los Angeles and are as excited as eloping teenagers.”

Along with the announcement, the NASA spaceman shared two photos from their big day. The snaps—one posed and one candid—show the groom sporting a black suit decorated with various medals and pins. According to the images, his bride donned a long-sleeve sheer and beaded dress with a pair of white heels. She wore her hair down in waves and carried a bouquet of white roses. 

After Aldrin shared the news, many of his followers replied to his tweet with congratulatory messages. Eben Brown, national correspondent for Fox News Radio, responded, “Mazel Tov!” Fellow filmmaker Dean Cain wrote, “God Bless you, sir.” CNN journalist Wynn Westmoreland also expressed her excitement with the message, “Fantastic!!! ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️.” In response to all of the love, Aldrin followed up with another Twitter post on Friday. "Thank you for all of the Happy Birthday wishes and heartfelt goodwill," the tweet says. "It means a lot and I hope to continue serving a greater cause for many more revolutions around the sun!! Onward and upward and best wishes to all of you as well!"

This is the fourth time that Aldrin has been married, People reports. The current executive vice president of Buzz Aldrin Ventures first wed Joan Archer in 1954, and they had three children together, James, Andrew, and Janice. The former couple parted ways in 1974. The following year, Aldrin traded vows with Beverly Van File, but their relationship ended three years later. The third time, Aldrin tied the knot with Lois Driggs Cannon in 1985. Their marriage lasted for 24 years before they settled a divorce in 2012. 

Aldrin is best known for his accomplishment as the second person to walk the moon, following Neil Armstrong. In July of 1969, he served as the pilot of the Lunar Module Eagle during the 1969 Apollo 11 mission, which Armstrong and Michael Collins were also a part of. It took them four days and nearly 250,000 miles to reach the moon. While Armstrong spent two hours and 32 minutes on the moon, Aldrin spent about 15 minutes less than that, according to CNN. While they were exploring the moon's surface, both astronauts set up an American flag, shoveled moon rocks, and set up experiments.