Meeting Buzz Aldrin out-of-this-world experience for Alberta boy

An Alberta boy with dreams of becoming an astronaut was over the moon after getting the chance to meet his space hero, Buzz Aldrin.

Twelve-year old Ethan Jogola of Mayerthorpe, who has cystic fibrosis, was given the opportunity to meet the famous moonwalker through the Make-a-Wish Foundation.

"Knowing that this guy went to another world in this solar system is just so cool, and I really wanted to meet him," said Ethan, who flew to Florida with his family last month to meet Aldrin at the Kennedy Space Centre Visitor Complex.

"He was just your average grandpa, I guess. He was just telling all these stories," said Ethan Thursday during an interview with CBC Edmonton AM host Mark Connolly. "He'd answer my questions and then tell like 10 different stories. It was great."

Ethan spent the afternoon with Aldrin. They walked down the same launch pad that the Apollo 11 crew used to board their spacecraft in July 1969, and got a look at a Saturn V rocket.

They followed up the tour with lunch, a pre-screening of the movie The Martian, and a meeting with stars Chiwetel Ejiofor and Mackenzie Davis.

Ethan, who was an infant when he was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, has been stargazing since he was seven years old.

"Life is pretty easy as long as I do my therapy and take my pills," said Ethan. " I'm just like a normal kid."

And just like so many kids, Ethan wants to follow in Aldrin's legendary footsteps.

"I probably want to be an astronaut when I grow up."

Ethan's aspirations for space travel got a vote of confidence from the legendary astronaut

"Yeah, he wants me to go to Mars," Ethan said.