Posted on by Nancy Atkinson

“That’s the Way It Is” — Apollo Supporter Walter Cronkite Dies


Newscaster Walter Cronkite has passed away at the age of 92. He was admired and known for his enthusiastic coverage NASA’s space missions, from the early Mercury launches, through the ground-breaking Gemini missions, to the subsequent moon landings — which at times left him speechless — and the space shuttle program.

“From the earliest days of the space program, Walter brought the excitement, the drama and the achievements of space flight directly into our homes,” said new NASA Administrator Charles Bolden.

Neil Armstrong also issued a statement about Cronkite, saying Cronkite “had a passion for human space exploration, an enthusiasm that was contagious, and the trust of his audience. He will be missed.”

From the beginning of America’s manned space program to the age of the space shuttle, Cronkite anchored CBS Evening News. He was on air during the launch of Apollo 11, shouting “go, baby, go” as it rocketed into space. His marathon, live coverage of the first manned mission to Moon brought the excitement and impact of the historic event into the homes of millions of Americans and observers around the world. He spent 27 of the next 30 hours on the air.

5 Replies to ““That’s the Way It Is” — Apollo Supporter Walter Cronkite Dies”

  2. Great to see that NASA has put together a tribute video to Walter Cronkite and his coverage of the Apollo 11 mission, warts and all. Walter even mentions that CBS reported the astronauts landed 40 seconds before it actually happened. Classic Cronkite, always wanting to get the story right. He will be missed by many.

  3. CBS’s dramatization of the landing wasn’t able to compensate for the delay due to Armstrong piloting the LM over the crater it would otherwise have landed in. I remember in 1969 wondering why they were showing the LM on the ground when the audio clearly indicated that they were still flying.

    I was surprised, in listening to a 9-minute version of CBS’s coverage, that the 1201/1202 alarm calls are so clear because I have no recollection of them at all.

  5. My condolences to the family of Walter.
    If there was an credible voice in America, that was Walter Cronkite! May he rest in Peace.

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