08/19/2026
Freemasons in America’s Space Program
When Americans think of Freemasonry and the space program, Buzz Aldrin is usually the first name that comes to mind. Aldrin, the second man to walk on the Moon, was raised a Master Mason in Lawrence N. Greenleaf Lodge No. 169 in Colorado and later affiliated with Clear Lake Lodge No. 1417 in Seabrook, Texas. He was also a 33° Scottish Rite Mason.
Aldrin, however, was far from the only Freemason associated with NASA’s pioneering years. John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth, became a Mason in 1978 and was affiliated with Concord Lodge No. 688 in New Concord, Ohio. Because Glenn became a Mason after his historic 1962 Mercury flight, it is more accurate to say that he was a Freemason who later returned to space aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery in 1998.
Several other astronauts of the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, and Skylab programs were also members of the Craft. Gordon Cooper belonged to Carbondale Lodge No. 82 in Carbondale, Colorado. Virgil “Gus” Grissom was a member of Mitchell Lodge No. 228 in Mitchell, Indiana, where he was raised in 1949. Walter “Wally” Schirra belonged to Canaveral Lodge No. 339 in Cocoa Beach, Florida.
Apollo 14 astronaut Edgar Mitchell, the sixth man to walk on the Moon, was a member of Artesia Lodge No. 28 in Artesia, New Mexico. Some modern sources mistakenly list the lodge as No. 29, but No. 28 is the historically supported designation. Apollo and Gemini commander Thomas Stafford belonged to Western Star Lodge No. 138 in Weatherford, Oklahoma, while Skylab astronaut Paul Weitz was a member of Lawrence Lodge No. 708 in Erie, Pennsylvania.
Freemasonry’s connection with the space program extended beyond the astronaut corps. James E. Webb, NASA Administrator from 1961 to 1968 and one of the most influential leaders of the Apollo era, received his Masonic degrees in University Lodge No. 408 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. He later transferred his membership to Oxford Lodge No. 396, which was subsequently renumbered Oxford Lodge No. 122.
These men came from different backgrounds and served NASA in different capacities, but together they represent an interesting chapter in both American and Masonic history. Their achievements were products of courage, education, technical skill, discipline, teamwork, and public service—qualities that also resonate strongly with the ideals Freemasonry seeks to encourage in its members.
