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UPDATE: Apollo Astronaut Buzz Aldrin "Recovering Well" After Medical Evacuation From South Pole

Buzz Aldrin 'recovering well' in New Zealand. Photo: Twitter
Buzz Aldrin 'recovering well' in New Zealand. Photo: Twitter

In a tweet, Aldrin’s manager says the former astronaut has fluid in his lungs, but is recovering well after a successful medical evacuation to New Zealand. He’s being kept overnight for evaluation.

Aldrin was flown from a research base in the South Pole to Christchurch, New Zealand – with a stop on the Antarctic coast.

The private tour company escorting Aldrin on the South Pole trip said he was ailing and his condition deteriorated – so they asked for a medical transport.

The National Science Foundation provided a medical evacuation plane for Aldrin, along with medical care.

Aldrin, now 86 years old, was the second man to walk on the moon in 1969.

Brendan Byrne is Central Florida Public Media's Assistant News Director, managing the day-to-day operations of the newsroom, editing daily news stories, and managing the organization's internship program. Byrne also hosts Central Florida Public Media's weekly radio show and podcast "Are We There Yet?" which explores human space exploration, and the weekly news roundup podcast "The Wrap."