Buzz Aldrin: Original Moonwalker Dances with the 'Stars'

This is a rush transcript from "On the Record," March 31, 2010. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

GRETA VAN SUSTEREN, FOX NEWS HOST: Astronaut Buzz Aldrin is one of the few people on planet earth who faces this question -- what can anyone do to top walking on the mean?

Check this out. At the age of 80 Aldrin is a contestant on dancing with the stars. Moments ago he went "On the Record."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VAN SUSTEREN: Buzz, who would have guessed you're a dancer? Everyone knows you are an astronaut but you are a big dancer. How long have you been dancing?

BUZZ ALDRIN, FORMER ASTRONAUT: Well, when I was a teenager, I was a little bashful. My father was away during World War II, so my mother thought I ought to find out who author Murray was. So I learned a little bit.

But West Point hops they called the dances, not the most popular on my agenda. Being a fighter pilot, Friday night beer call took precedence over cutting up rugs. We didn't have all this jump and jive back then. It was Frank Sinatra and things like that you heard, "Fly me to the Moon."

VAN SUSTEREN: Now are you are doing "Dancing with the Stars," doing the cha-cha. How did you get involved in this?

ALDRIN: You know, a little less than a year ago I came out with a new autobiography, "Magnificent Desolation," those were the words I used on the moon, if you recall. To help people understand that I did a rap song with Snoop Dogg, endorsed by Quincy Jones.

And all sorts of things like supporting Jim Cameron and "Avatar," seeing the Titanic and getting in the Long Beach grand prix, pro-am race. Things like this exhibit to people that I'm out in the world and an active person.

And as we approached the 40th anniversary, I felt that more and more, my public awareness by people would help bring remembrance of the triumphance of our space program 40 years ago.

And of course my biggest concern is what are we going to be doing in the near future that is going to be equally as exciting to inspire young people for our workforce and also for our education?

VAN SUSTEREN: Of course, I'm sure everyone asked whether you could do the mean walk, so I'm not going to ask that question. I know you can do the step on the mean walk. I do know you have a new iPhone app, so there's more to being an astronaut. What is the app?

ALDRIN: It's pretty good as a matter of fact. It's "Buzz Aldrin, portal to science and space exploration."

It is right now on the iPhone app store, which is really hard to come by, but it is number one for education. And it is doing very well. Of course you can look it up and find anything you want to know about space.

And if you can't, tell me and I'll find out and put it on there. You might see a few exclusive little shots of Ashley and I preparing for the cha-cha. And incidentally, I did do kind of a mean walk on that cha-cha. Then we just wooed the world, but not the judges with "Fly me to the Moon," and a good bit of lunar background information.

VAN SUSTEREN: I'm going to download, I promise the, app to my iPhone, I'm a gadget nut. I will do that, and of course I will be rooting for you on "Dancing with the Stars." And it's always nice to see you, Buzz.

ALDRIN: Thank you. I'm looking forward to maybe being with the president April 15th at the Space Summit in Florida.

VAN SUSTEREN: I hope you are there. Maybe the three of us can get together. See if you can't get the three of us in one room together to talk.

ALDRIN: That would be wonderful together, at least two of the three of us one way or the other.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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