Sci-Fi, Pre-1980, spaceship accident, cover-up with a robot that later turned to be intelligent

[Jack]

This Sci-Fi was pre-1980. The main character was a famous TV reporter. There was a spaceship accident. The escape pod landed somewhere on the Earth. The astronaut was dead. To cover up, a robot was used to fake as the astronaut but somehow it had its own mind and became an intelligent being. Sorry, not much remembered.

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

For adults?
Cover?
Author's gender?