Roger That! Conference will explore space and time, present trailblazing retired NASA astronaut

The 2026 Roger That! Conference will explore the theme of space and time by highlighting the the many ways humans measure, understand and imagine time as it relates to outer space.

This year's event will feature retired NASA astronaut Jeanette Epps, an aerospace engineer and former CIA intelligence officer, who will deliver the keynote on both days of the conference, February 20 and 21.

Epps, who spent more than 230 days aboard the International Space Station as a mission specialist for SpaceX Crew-8, has trained extensively with both SpaceX and the Russian space agency, Roscosmos, developing expertise in robotics, spacewalk operations and international mission coordination.

Programming will explore interplanetary time synchronization, lunar and Martian timekeeping, gravitational waves and the technologies that make deep-space exploration possible, among other subjects.

The annual conference, a joint venture between Grand Valley and the Grand Rapids Public Museum, celebrates space exploration and the life of Grand Rapids native Roger B. Chaffee. 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.

Epps will speak at 6:30 p.m. February 20 at the Loosemore Auditorium on GVSU’s City Campus. Register for the event at the Roger That! Website .

On Feb. 21, Epps will speak at 11 a.m. at the Grand Rapids Public Museum. Guests can register at the museum's website .

The programs at GVSU's Pew Grand Rapids Campus include a full day focused on education, interdisciplinary collaboration and hands-on learning. The schedule includes online scholarly presentations from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., interactive STEAM workshops and in-person activities designed for students, educators and community members.

Highlights include Design That! , a space-focused design challenge that invites participants to tackle real-world space-related problems, as well as the Celestial Rhythms panel, a conversation featuring community experts on cultural approaches to time and the sky. Panelists will explore how different communities understand and organize time through celestial rhythms, drawing on cultural traditions, lived experience and contemporary practice.