NASA Astronaut Group 3 NASA Astronaut Group 3 Astronaut Group 3 was a group of fourteen astronauts selected by NASA. Their selection was announced in October 1963. Four died in training accidents before they could fly in space. All of the surviving ten flew in the Apollo program; five also flew Gemini missions. Aldrin, Bean, Cernan and Scott walked on the Moon. They are the only ones of the first 19 NASA astronaut groups to have no members at all fly on the Space Shuttle. Group 3 was the first to waive the requirement of a test pilot background, though military jet fighter aircraft
Edwin Eugene Aldrin Sr. a reservist until he retired from the Air Force Reserve with the rank of colonel on 1 May 1956. He later became a consultant to the manned space flight safety director of the NASA. Aldrin died in San Francisco, California, on 28 December 1974, while he was visiting his daughter there, and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. He was survived by his sister, two daughters, and son, Buzz Aldrin. His wife Marion suffered from depression and killed herself in 1968. He is commemorated by the Edwin E. Aldrin, Sr. Award, which is presented to an Air Force Institute of