Excerpt:

When the USS Hornet picked up astronauts Neil Armstrong, Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin Jr. and Michael Collins from the Pacific Ocean following the first lunar landing, in July 1969, the crew welcomed them aboard with buttons that read "Hornet Plus Three."

Now one of those three, the 84-year-old Aldrin will return to the aircraft carrier to celebrate the 45th anniversary of what Armstrong famously described as "one giant leap for mankind."

Splashdown 45 will take place all day July 26 and will feature a talk by Aldrin, one of just 12 men to have walked on the moon and a tireless advocate for manned missions to Mars and continued space exploration.