Astronauts and Space Exploration 1986-2024

The tragic explosion of the Challenger space shuttle that took place on Jan. 28, 1986 is a reminder of the dangers of space exploration. The shuttle only briefly took off from Cape Canaveral before an explosion occurred, which killed all seven crew members on board, exactly 73 seconds after liftoff.

Over the years, understanding and technology has propelled aerospace engineering, space exploration and interspace travel forward so far that private investors have begun development in aerospace technology. For example, Tesla electronic car designer Elon Musk has been developing his own private space shuttles. However, the dangers of space travel and engineering are still at the forefront of the field.

The annual Roger That! Conference is a collaboration between the Grand Rapids Public Museum and Grand Valley State University to center awareness for the human experience in space and to commemorate the life of Grand Rapids astronaut Roger B. Chaffee.

According to GVNext, “Chaffee, along with Gus Grissom and Ed White, died in 1967 during an Apollo I pre-flight test when a fire broke out in the cockpit of their command module.”

The two-day Roger That! conference will take place at the GVSU Pew Campus on Feb. 16, then at the Grand Rapids Public Museum on Feb. 17. The academic conference is free for attendees and is open to both educators and the general public.

Through Roger That!, attendees can further understand the importance and sophistication of aerospace activity. They can also gain appreciation for the astronauts and scientists that risk their lives pioneering exploration and technology outside of Earth’s atmosphere.

This year’s Roger That! Conference is themed “life in space” and will delve into topics about extraterrestrial life, the challenges that astronauts face and what it takes to sustain human life in space. Dr. Robert Satcher, an astronaut, chemical engineer and orthopedic surgeon, will headline the conference by delivering two keynote speeches. Satcher traveled on the STS-129 in 2009 to the International Space Station, where he completed two space walks.

Aerospace engineering and space travel is one of the most delicate and unpredictable frontiers of exploration. It is an incredibly innovative, and simultaneously, dangerous area that scientists, astronauts and engineers tread, even 30 years after the Challenger explosion. The Roger That! event aims to cultivate appreciation for research, development and innovators for space exploration that help the field find common ground outside Earth’s atmosphere.