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NASA honors TV journalist, anchor Walter Cronkite, KB2GSD
(Feb 16, 2006)
-- NASA is honoring legendary CBS TV news anchor Walter Cronkite, KB2GSD, for his coverage of the US space program. Cronkite, who has narrated two ARRL Amateur Radio videos (photo), will receive the Ambassador of Exploration Award February 28 during a ceremony hosted by the University of Texas at Austin Center for American History at the studios of KLRU-TV. "His marathon, live coverage of the first moon landing brought the excitement and impact of the historic event into the homes of millions of Americans and observers around the world," NASA said in a news release announcing the award. NASA is presenting the Ambassador of Exploration Award to the 38 astronauts and other key individuals who participated in the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo space programs for realizing America's vision of space exploration from 1961 to 1972. Cronkite is the first non-astronaut and only NASA outsider to receive the award, which consists of a small sample of lunar material encased in Lucite and mounted for public display. The material is part of the 842 pounds of moon rocks brought back to Earth during the six Apollo expeditions between 1969 and 1972. Cronkite will, in turn, present the lunar sample to University of Texas President William Powers. He will accept the award on behalf of the Center for American History, the archival home of the Walter Cronkite papers, and the sample will be on display in the Center's exhibit gallery. Cronkite is the best-remembered journalist for his commentary and enthusiastic coverage of the historic progression of missions from the early Mercury launches, through the ground-breaking Gemini missions, to the Apollo 11 and subsequent moon landings. |
