|
Former AP space writer Howard Benedict retires from the Astronaut Scholarship Association CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) -- Howard Benedict, who was The Associated Press' senior aerospace writer for more than three decades, is retiring as executive director of the Astronaut Scholarship Association. "When you get to be 76, your bones get a little achy," said Benedict, who was honored July 27 in a private celebration at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. The foundation, established by more than 40 astronauts, has awarded almost $2 million in scholarships for college engineering and science students. Benedict assisted the original Mercury 7 astronauts in providing aid to students interested in spaceflight-related fields. Benedict said he will soon begin contributing to a book about the history of The Associated Press, the largest and oldest news organization in the world. He has written three books about space, and co-wrote the best seller, "Moon Shot: The Inside Story of America's Race to the Moon." Benedict retired from the AP in 1990 after 37 years. He covered the space program for 31 years, reporting on more than 2,000 missile and rocket launches. "I worked as a correspondent at Cape Canaveral when space exploration was just being born," Benedict was quoted on a display at the celebration. "I recognized a giant of a story when I saw one. "I never looked back. I only looked up." Posted: (August 6, 2004) |
||||||||
|
|