The Space Foundation honored a man who directed Mercury and Gemini missions from the ground Wednesday during the Space Symposium in Colorado Springs. Christopher Kraft was awarded the Space Foundation's Gen. James E. Hill Space Achievement Award named after the late, retired Air Force general who chaired the foundation. "The award recognizes outstanding individuals who have distinguished themselves through lifetime contributions to the welfare or betterment of humankind through the exploration, development and use of space," the foundation said on its website. Kraft joins a prestigious list of space pioneers who have received the award in previous years, including astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and James Lovell. Read more on Colorado Springs Gazette