NASA flight chief to give moon rock to Central Catholic

12/1/2007

A piece of the moon is set to land at Central Catholic High School.

Legendary NASA Flight Director Eugene Kranz is to be given a NASA Ambassador of Exploration Award for his involvement in the U.S. space program. The award is a moon rock encased in Lucite and mounted for public display.

Mr. Kranz, a native Toledoan and a 1951 graduate of Central Catholic, will receive the award Thursday at the high school, 2550 Cherry St.

Mr. Kranz, in turn, will give the award to the school, where it will remain on permanent display.

Mr. Kranz worked on NASA s Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, and space shuttle space missions. He was the flight director when Apollo 11 landed on the moon and fellow northwest Ohio native Neil Armstrong became the first person to walk on the lunar surface.

Mr. Kranz was the lead flight director for the Apollo 13 mission cut short by an explosion aboard the spacecraft.