David K. Stone (American, 1922 - 2001) "Edwin Aldrin" Signed lower right. Original Oil painting on Masonite. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting originally appeared on the Fleetwood Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr. Commemorative Cover postmarked January 20, 1979. On July 20, 1969, Edwin Aldrin soared into the history books when he successfully piloted the Eagle lunar module. Born in Montclair, New Jersey, in 1930, Aldrin graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1951 and received his Doctor of Science from M.I.T. in 1963. As both a scholar and as a test pilot for the Air Force, he was especially qualified to become an astronaut in the NASA space program. On the Gemini XII flight in 1966, he established a new record for extravehicular activity, spending 5-1/2 hours outside the spacecraft. He also performed the first space rendezvous using on-board computations, and he made the first fully automatic reentry of a spacecraft. On the historic flight of Apollo XI, it was his great responsibility to place the Eagle lunar module safely and precisely on the moon's surface. Having completed man's first ascent on the moon, Aldrin and Armstrong maneuvered their lunar module to a rendezvous with command module pilot Michael Collins who had remained in lunar orbit in the Columbia. Aldrin's perfect performance in the difficult landing and docking feats helped assure the success of Apollo XI and is recorded forever in the annals of aerospace history. Image Size: 17.75 x 21 in. Overall Size: 22.25 x 25.25 in. Unframed. (B95376) See More