Astronauts Remember Walter Cronkite

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Legendary TV Anchorman Walter Cronkite Dies at 92
Veteran journalist Walter Cronkite is honored at a ceremony, below, in Austin, Texas in 2006. (Image credit: NASA.)

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station and on theground took time out to remember legendary journalist Walter Cronkite.

Cronkite, a television newsanchorman who chronicled American spaceflight and NASA's historicApollo 11 moon landing in 1969, died Friday at the age of 92.

"We noticed that a gentleman and a pioneer passed away,and that person of course is Walter Cronkite," space shuttle Endeavourcommander Mark Polansky radioed down from the space station Saturday. "Andwe thought that we'd be remiss in not recognizing him for what he meant to abunch of us who happened to grow up in the era where early astronauts of Mercury,Gemini and Apollo were going up."

Cronkite's work "inspired a lot of us," Polanskysaid. "We did want to salute Mr. Cronkite and offer our best wishes andcondolences to his family."

"He had a passion for human space exploration, anenthusiasm that was contagious, and the trust of his audience," Armstrongin a statement Saturday. "He will be missed."

 

Space.com Staff
Space.com Staff
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