Story highlights Buzz Aldrin: Leonard Nimoy's Mr. Spock seemed like the ideal companion for a space voyage

Spock's "live long and prosper" is iconic, as is Neil Armstrong's "one small step for man"

Buzz Aldrin, the NASA astronaut best known for his Apollo 11 moonwalk, holds a doctoral degree in astronautics. He is co-author with Leonard David of "Mission to Mars: My Vision for Space Exploration," published by the National Geographic Society. The opinions expressed in this commentary are his.

(CNN) I was saddened to learn of the passing of Leonard Nimoy, a fellow space traveler because he helped make the journey into the final frontier accessible to us all.

Nimoy's Mr. Spock in the original "Star Trek" television show, followed by the series of movies, proved to be a seminal, enduring and endearing character.

While the late Neil Armstrong's "one small step for man," as we began our exploration of the Moon back in July 1969, is ageless, so, too, is Spock's iconic "live long and prosper," a phrase that also spans time and space.

Buzz Aldrin

It brought out the Vulcan in all of us; that, for me, translated into a peaceful progression of exploring the vastness of outer space for all mankind.

Nimoy's quite logical and always calm Spock struck me as an ideal person to have with us onboard a spaceship headed into the unknown. I also admit to being jealous of how much room was available on the USS Enterprise -- far from the cramped quarters allotted space travelers of past, present and future!