Communication and Space: The 2025 "Roger That!" Symposium

“Roger That!” is an annual two-day public symposium held in collaboration between Grand Valley State University (GVSU) and the Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM). Supported in part by the Michigan Space Grant Consortium, the event celebrates space exploration and promotes K12 STEM education while commemorating Roger B. Chaffee, a native Grand Rapidian and astronaut who perished in the Apollo 1 fire. For 2025 the theme was “Communication and Space,” and our featured keynote speaker was former astronaut John Herrington, Ph.D., regarded as the first Native American to fly in Space. The symposium includes a series of online academic presentations, in-person workshops and hands-on activities, and school field trips. Augmented MSGC funding supported the assembly and delivery of 150 STEM kits for local elementary students as well as a 4^th – 8^th grade design challenge, Design That! Plans are underway for the 2026 event, which will be the 10^th anniversary of “Roger That!”