Buzz Aldrin Departs New Zealand After Weeklong Hospital Stay

— -- Buzz Aldrin, prepare for lift off.

After spending more than a week at a New Zealand hospital, Aldrin’s assistant tweeted a photo Friday morning showing the legendary NASA astronaut on an airplane with the caption, “Bye bye New Zealand! Hope to see you again! (But next time for vacation and not evacuation).”

Aldrin, the second person to walk on the moon, had to be evacuated from the South Pole on December 2 after a medical emergency. Aldrin later released a statement saying he “started to feel a bit short of breath” and, upon further evaluation, doctors discovered some congestion in his lungs.

The 86-year-old had been in Antarctica "to experience and study conditions akin to Mars," according to his website.

Prior to his medical evacuation, Aldrin became the oldest person to reach the South Pole.