Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute: An Untold History of Spacemen & Spies - Paperback

by Craig Gralley (Author)

For six decades western North Carolinians have asked the question: "What are those big satellite dishes doing behind that chain-linked fence?"

In the early years of the site near Rosman, NASA gave public tours of the antennas it used to track space satellites. When the defense department took over, the tours stopped. Signs were posted that read "Unauthorized Entry Prohibited" and armed guards patrolled the site. Wild myths took root. Underground tunnels held nuclear missiles. The site was a submarine base. A city built underground held captive space aliens. Then, suddenly, DoD departed. New owners dusted off the satellite dishes and pointed them into deepest space. Public tours at the new Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute were reestablished and programs were created for a brand new mission-- science education.

Now, local author Craig Gralley tells PARI's full story.

Author Biography

Craig Gralley, a former CIA senior executive, served as an analyst, manager and chief speechwriter for three agency directors. He's now a freelance writer and the author of Hall of Mirrors--Virginia Hall: America's Greatest Spy of World War II, a Kirkus Reviews "Best Book." His work has been published in the Washington Post, World War II Magazine, Elan and the literary journal The Sun, among others. Craig graduated with honors from Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania, and holds master's degrees from Georgetown University and Johns Hopkins University. For more information about Craig and his work, visit www.craiggralley.com.