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Aldrin, 86, who
was visiting the pole as part of a tourist group, was flown to
Christchurch, New Zealand, early on Friday local time when his
condition deteriorated.
He has fluid in his lungs but is responding well to antibiotics
and is in a stable condition, according to his official website.
Aldrin appeared in good spirits on Saturday after receiving a
visit from NASA Deputy Administrator Dava Newman at Christchurch
Hospital.
"I had a surprise visitor this morning. My longtime friend," he
wrote on Twitter.
In the photos, Aldrin can be seen giving a thumbs-up sign and
sitting in front of a tray of food and juice.
His manager Christina Korp, who traveled with him to Antarctica,
posted photos on Thursday of the former astronaut walking over
snow at the South Pole.
Aldrin was a fighter pilot during the Korean War before joining
the U.S. astronaut program. On July 20, 1969, he stepped on the
moon about 20 minutes after Neil Armstrong had taken the
historic first step.
Their moonwalk was part of the Apollo 11 lunar landing was
watched by a then-record television audience of 600 million
people.
(Reporting by Harry Pearl; Editing by Richard Pullin)
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