Buzz Aldrin wants to set up permanent human settlement on Mars

Buzz Aldrin, who landed on the moon with Neil Armstrong in 1969, is making a strong case for a permanent settlement on Mars.

Speaking at a "Fly Me to the Moon" event to launch Hasselblad's Lunar Camera at Willoughby's Camera Emporium in Manhattan, Aldrin said that he's hoping that Americans will build a permanent base on the moon.

He suggested that scientists could first learn how to do it on the Big Island of Hawaii, before trying that on the moon, New York Post reported.

This will enable a permanent base on Mars to be led by Americans, he added.

But Aldrin, who has just released a new book "Mission to Mars," said that he may not go to space again, because he think that he's more valuable, on the ground, to the country helping to plan more things for the future.