Dr Anca Aldrin, 66, wife of astronaut Buzz Aldrin, died on Tuesday. The couple married on 20 January 2023 after meeting in 2017. Anca was a chemical engineer with a PhD and served in leadership roles in hydrogen and space-related organisations.
Dr Anca Aldrin, the wife of former astronaut Buzz Aldrin, died on Tuesday night at the age of 66. The Faur and Aldrin families shared the news on Facebook. They said she passed away peacefully with her husband and her son, Vlad Ghenciu, by her side. Buzz Aldrin, 95, paid a short and tender tribute, calling her the love of his life.
How Buzz Aldrin and Anca Faur met and married
Anca and Buzz first met at a work event in December 2017. They began dating in May 2018. The couple married on 20 January 2023. They chose the date because it is Buzz Aldrin’s birthday. The wedding was small and private. Buzz later said the ceremony was ‘just the two of us and the stars above’.
In the family message on Facebook, the Faur and Aldrin families confirmed Anca’s death and described the scene as peaceful. Buzz Aldrin said he felt lucky to have found and married the love of his life. He said she brought joy to everything they did and that he would miss her dearly.
Anca Aldrin’s career and achievements
Anca Aldrin was a skilled chemical engineer. She held a PhD from the University of Pittsburgh. She worked in roles linked to clean energy and space business. She served as treasurer for the California Hydrogen Business Council. She was also Executive Vice President of Buzz Aldrin Ventures LLC. In these roles she helped guide projects and plans related to hydrogen and space technologies.
Family life and children
Buzz Aldrin has three children from his first marriage to Joan Ann Archer: James, Janice and Andrew. He also has a grandson, Jeffrey Schuss, from his daughter Janice, and several great-grandchildren, three great-grandsons and one great-granddaughter. Anca’s son, Vlad Ghenciu, was by her side when she died, according to a report in Daily Mail.
Buzz Aldrin’s life in brief
Buzz Aldrin is best known as the second man to set foot on the Moon. On 16 July 1969, he flew with Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins on the Apollo 11 mission. He saluted the American flag on the Moon’s surface and became a global figure. He retired from NASA in 1971.
After leaving NASA, Aldrin stayed active. In 1998 he founded the ShareSpace Foundation. The non-profit promotes crewed space exploration and education. He also wrote books and often spoke about the need to travel beyond Earth. In recent years he called for the colonisation of Mars and said a “great migration” to other planets could be vital for the future of humankind.
Public struggles and later life
Aldrin has been open about hard times in his life. He battled depression and alcoholism. He has been sober for more than 40 years. In 2002 he faced a legal case after punching a man who demanded he swear the Moon landing was not staged. He escaped assault charges in that case.
Public profile and pop culture
Buzz Aldrin kept a public presence. He made cameo appearances on TV shows such as The Big Bang Theory, The Simpsons and 30 Rock. The Toy Story character Buzz Lightyear was named in his honour. He has long been a public voice for space exploration.
The couple shared a close life together. Buzz often spoke of his happiness and of being ‘lucky beyond words’. For many, the couple’s story was a later-life romance that brought comfort to the astronaut in his nineties.