Retired Air Force colonel to be featured speaker at Quincy Astronomy Club meeting on Thursday

QUINCY — The Quincy Astronomy Club will be presenting a live ZOOM lecture entitled “Gemini: A Giant Leap in the Race to the Moon” at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 25, at John Wood Community College in Room D022. The public is invited.

Retired U.S. Air Force Col. Jack Anthony will give two NASA-related presentations. The first will be a time machine trip back to 1965, giving attendees a perspective on the challenges and how NASA overcame them in achieving the first-ever rendezvous in space during the December 1965 dual Gemini 6 and 7 missions called Gemini 76.

As a bonus presentation, Anthony will give attendees insight into how on Feb. 1, 2003, amateur photographers contributed to giving the Space Shuttle Columbia accident investigators vivid insight into how Columbia struggled to fly as it entered deeper into the Earth’s atmosphere.

Anthony has served 45 years in many space research, engineering, operations, leadership, program management and education roles. This includes 26 years in the U.S. Air Force and 19 years as a contractor supporting space endeavors. He worked in the National Reconnaissance Office and with National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in many roles. He continues to be called upon to assist Space Force in the challenges they face in protecting all the space assets we and our military depend on.

Notable assignments include U.S. Air Force Academy astronautics teacher, squadron commander, program manager for the development and flight of space vehicles, aircraft flight test and space defense operations.

He served in 2003 as the Department of Defense liaison deployed to NASA Johnson Space Center in support of the Space Shuttle Columbia accident investigation. In the late 1980s, he was an operations officer for the F-15/Anti-Satellite missile tests. He was selected in 1984 to be a visiting educator at the USAF Test Pilot School for AF Shuttle payload specialists. He is an amateur astronomer and the owner of an 8-inch Meade refractor telescope. In a press release, Anthony said he “enjoys looking out there.”

For more information, contact Susan Asher 217-653-5074 or asherte@yahoo.com.