GEAR UP students explore space with NASA scientists

April 28, 2026 (Volume 49, Number 16)
Article by Bobby Springer

Copy URL

Bobby Springer, back row at left, is pictured with GEAR UP students at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Students in Grand Rapids who participate in Grand Valley's GEAR UP program have been engaged in a year-long project with scientists involved in space engineering and exploration.

Kazimer Prince, Denny Hernandez, Joshua Beamon, Malachi Autry,  Kenneth Hood and Antwan Redmon, all from Innovation Central High School, are completing hands-on research with the Galaxy Frontier Project (GFP). 

GFP is a global multi-year research project sponsored by NASA, Ecotek Lab and various space engineering companies. Each student team member has been assigned a specific scope of work, from reviewing rocket engineering project deliverables to designing simulations to improving the rocket's performance.

The group traveled to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston in January with students from the GEAR UP program at the University of Michigan-Dearborn. After tours of the facility, the students met with NASA engineers and administrators to continue working on their projects.

They next travel to Florida on May 8 to meet with scientists from organizations such as NASA, Exolith Labs, SpaceX and Blue Origin.  

— Bobby Springer is the director of the GEAR UP program.

Categories

Across Campus