One of the worst accidents of the American space program shapes a generation: In 1986, the nation mourns the heroes aboard the space shuttle Challenger, including two astronauts with deep ties to North Carolina.
NASA
The 1980s: The Decade of Local Heroes
After a period of radical change, North Carolinians enter the 1980s with renewed energy and optimism. The time is right for men and women of passion and talent to step up and make their mark on our state.
Collecting Carolina: A Photo Essay
From UNC Chapel Hill’s Wilson Library — housing what’s believed to be the largest library collection in the country devoted to a single state — to personal troves of duck decoys, pottery pieces, trains, tractors, and more: Meet the passionate collectors who curate the past and present, the serious and curious, the tangible items that tell the story of life in North Carolina.
Space Seeds: Moon Trees in Western North Carolina
Back in 1971, astronaut and former U.S. Forest Service smoke jumper Stuart Roosa carried more than 400 seeds into space with him on Apollo 14. Two of those seeds found a new home in North Carolina.
To the Moon, from Chapel Hill
Nearly every U.S. astronaut until 1975 — yes, including Neil, Buzz, John, and Alan — trained at Morehead Planetarium. That’s where they learned to navigate outer space.
