Chapel Hill – Michael G. Neece, Author

I Write… Children’s Books?

One of the most surprising events this year has been my unexpected excitement about writing a children’s book called When Astronauts Came to Town. This desire overwhelmed my creative energy already committed to creating books for adults about this same Morehead Planetarium history. It’s my kids who made it inevitable. Helping them grow up means a constantContinue reading “I Write… Children’s Books?”

Unsung Heroes get to Sing out

Sheet Film 24023: Morehead Planetarium: Tony Jenzano, Major Gordon Cooper, Commander Alan Shepherd, Dr. Jocelyn Gill, Dr. Franklin Roach, William Huch, 6 April 1963: Scan 1, in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Photographic Laboratory Collection #P0031, North Carolina Collection Photographic Archives, The Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

While writing a book about astronaut heroes coming to Chapel Hill to train at Morehead Planetarium, it would be easy to overlook contributions of some hidden heroes, like Dr. Jocelyn Gill (fourth figure from the left in the photo above, between Gordon Cooper and Alan Shepard). With her experience at MIT and her PhD fromContinue reading “Unsung Heroes get to Sing out”

Astronauts Came to Morehead for 15 Years

Photograph of Col. Cage, Scott Carpenter (in a Link trainer), Wally Schirra, and Morehead astronaut trainer James Batten. Black and White 8x10 Photographic Print 50075_0003 in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Photographic Laboratory Collection #P0031, North Carolina Collection Photographic Archives, The Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

After NASA astronaut training had been going on for a handful of years at Morehead Planetarium in Chapel Hill, the Manned Spacecraft Center became the hub of activity for astronauts, thus they spent far less time in Langley, VA and much more time in Houston, TX. Morehead was more remote for the astronauts from thenContinue reading “Astronauts Came to Morehead for 15 Years”

Part of the Club

Pete Conrad, Commander of Apollo 12, with Carol Jenzano, daughter of Morehead Planetarium director Tony Jenzano. (1965, Courtesy of Carol Jenzano)

I traveled to Carol Jenzano’s home this past weekend to conduct more research about Morehead Planetarium’s astronaut training program in the 1960’s and 70’s. I drank from a fire hose of stories, documents, and photographs, and supped on finally-solved mysteries and good company. Carol has kept much of her father’s memorabilia from when he wasContinue reading “Part of the Club”

The Arrival of Winter: Fly Me to the Moon

On the morning of December 21, 1968, three men who trained at Morehead Planetarium sat atop a Saturn V rocket, ready to become the first humans to travel to the Moon. Below is a picture of two of those men on the far right standing with planetarium director, Tony Jenzano, in the center. Frank Borman,Continue reading “The Arrival of Winter: Fly Me to the Moon”