A Celebration of Space Exploration in Honor of Roger B. Chaffee
"There's enough space for everyone!"
Roger B. Chaffee was born February 15, 1935 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. An engineer, pilot and astronaut, Chaffee lost his life in the Apollo 1 accident on January 27, 1967. The Roger That! conference, scholarly in nature and open to the general public, is co-organized by Grand Valley State University, the Grand Rapids Public Museum and the Roger B. Chaffee Scholarship Fund. Roger That! seeks to honor Chaffee and highlight local research in a two-day celebration of space exploration.
The 10th Roger That! will take place in February, 2026. Watch this space for updated announcements on dates and themes!
We still have STEM kits to hand out! Learn more about this year's STEM kits and how to request them! STEM kits!
The Design That! challenge for 4th - 8th graders is one of the highlights of Roger That! so check it out! Design That!
Ad Astra Ubi Spatium Pro Omnibus!
“I loved the marvelous variety of topics! Being able to hear from world experts on topics related to space is what makes Roger That a top notch conference. I am always excited each year to attend, and look forward to next year's!”
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“This conference gets better every year. This my third, I believe. Every session I attended was really good.”
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“I liked the open Zoom link for all of the sessions. It was nice to be able to pop in and out as my schedule allowed. When I can't clear the entire day to attend the conference, having the ability to participate as my schedule allowed was really nice.”
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Scenes from the 9th Roger That! 2025
Academic Online Conference on Friday
Every Roger That! Conference includes an academic conference with talks by scientists, engineers, historians, artists, and educators. These are online and we send you a zoom link after registration so you can enjoy these from anywhere in the world. We have also curated these on our YouTube channel so check us out here.
Bruce Waggoner: Communicating with Voyager 1. Roger That 2025
Theme for 2025: Communication and Space
Communication and Space, Roger That!'s 2025 theme, refers to a number of ways space exploration and communication can intersect. Humans on the ground communicate with people in space, engineers communicate with spacecraft, and a lot of amazing communicators work right here on Earth to help communicate ideas and concepts about space exploration to the larger community. Our theme of "communication" encompasses all of those meanings and more!
Roger That IX will start on Friday, February 14th (Valentine's Day!) with a lineup of amazing online speakers then transition to in-person events later in the day. There will be more events and activities at the Grand Rapids Public Museum on Saturday, February 15th.
Our confirmed guest list includes: Space-focused composer Joni Greene; mechanical engineer/solar system ambassador Shayla Redmond; space museum exhibition designer Barbara Brennan; JPL engineer/Voyager 1 team member Bruce Waggoner; space journalist Ashley Yeager; and OSIRIS-REx Missions Operations Manager, Andy Calloway.
Keynote Speaker for 2025
Commander John Herrington, PhD, is a retired NASA astronaut, U.S. Navy Commander, and the first enrolled member of a Native American nation (the Chickasaw Nation) to fly in space, During the 2002 STS-113 mission, where he served as a Mission Specialist, he performed three spacewalks focused on the International Space Station's construction (these spacewalks are commemorated on the back of the 2019 version of the Sacagawea dollar). Herrington holds a PhD in education from the University of Idaho and a Master’s in aeronautical engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School. His service as a naval aviator, test pilot, and astronaut has earned him multiple awards and honors, including induction into both the Chickasaw and International Air & Space Halls of Fame. Dr. Herrington continues to share his experiences through public speaking and his children’s book, Mission to Space.
STS-113 MS, Commander John Herrington, PhD.
2019 Sacagawea dollar featuring Herrington's spacewalk.
2025 poster by Matt Cushman
Presented by Grand Valley State University in association with the Grand Rapids Public Museum and the Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium.
The Roger That! conference is funded in part by the Michigan Space Grant Consortium.