2026: Space and Time
Jeanette Epps' official SpaceX portrait
Keynote Speaker for 2026
Dr. Jeanette J. Epps is an aerospace engineer, former CIA intelligence officer, and retired NASA astronaut who spent over 230 days aboard the International Space Station as a mission specialist for SpaceX Crew-8. Selected by NASA in 2009, she has trained extensively with both SpaceX and the Russian space agency, Roscosmos, developing expertise in robotics, spacewalk operations, and international mission coordination. Before joining NASA, Dr. Epps served as a CIA branch chief supporting national security operations, including a deployment to Iraq, and previously worked as a technical specialist at Ford Motor Company, where she co-authored a patent on smart materials. Dr. Epps holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Maryland and a B.S. in Physics from LeMoyne College. She is also an honorary member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.
Retired NASA Astronaut Dr. Jeanette Epps
(SpaceX Crew-8, Expedition 70/71/72)
Theme for 2026: Space and Time
Space and Time, Roger That!'s 2026 theme, highlights the many ways humans measure, understand, and imagine time as it relates to outer space. From the nanoseconds that govern spacecraft navigation to the millennia that shape cosmic evolution, our sense of time connects human experience with the rhythms of the universe. This year's speakers will explore interplanetary time synchronization, lunar and Martian timekeeping, gravitational waves, and the technologies that make deep-space exploration possible. There will be workshops for all ages and a special in-person panel focused on traditional and cultural ways celestial bodies have guided calendars and seasons throughout history.
Roger That X will begin on Friday, February 20, 2026, with a stellar lineup of online presentations, followed by in-person events later that day and continuing through Saturday, February 21 at the Grand Rapids Public Museum. Our confirmed guests include anthropologist Kevin Birth, who will discuss the challenge of interplanetary time synchronization and its historical roots; Father Paul Gabor of the Vatican Observatory, speaking on timekeeping on the Moon and Mars; Amanda Stark, principal investigator for NASA's MARVL (Modular Assembled Radiators for Nuclear Electric Propulsion Vehicles) project at Langley Research Center; Keith Snedegar covering telemetry, tracking, and time during the Apollo missions; Ken Carpenter and astrophysical time scales, and physicist Brett Bolen, who studies gravitational waves and cosmic phenomena. Additional speakers and events will be announced soon, including workshops for all ages and an in-person panel exploring how celestial bodies have long been used to mark time and seasons.
Schedule for Friday
9:30am EST Kevin Birth, Professor of Anthropology at Queens College of the City University of New York (CUNY). (Zoom): Will My Luxury Mechanical Watch Work in Space: Proper Time and the Cultural Choices behind Coordinate Time
10:30am EST Matthew Shindell, Space History Curator at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum (Zoom): For the Love of Mars: Our Changing View of the Red Planet
11:30am EST Keith Snedegar, Professor of History at Utah Valley University (Zoom) The Afropast, Afropresent, and Afrofuture of Space Science across the Mother Continent
12:30pm EST Break for Lunch
1pm EST Paul Gabor, Vice Director, Vatican Observatory and Affiliate Faculty, University of Arizona (Zoom) Time, Science & Society
2pm EST Amanda Stark, Aerospace Engineer, NASA Langley Research Center (Zoom) Mars Transit and the MARVL Project
3:30pm-7:30pm EST - In-person events at GVSU's Pew Campus, DeVos Center
3:30pm EST - Live panel discussion on how the Moon, Sun, and stars shape calendars and seasons across cultures. (in-person at GVSU's Pew Campus, DeVos Center's Loosemore Auditorium)
Title: Celestial Rhythms
4:00pm EST - Workshop event #1: (in-person at GVSU's Pew Campus, DeVos Center) Sundials and Seasons
4:00pm EST - Workshop event #2: (in-person at GVSU's Pew Campus, DeVos Center)Exploring the Night Sky
5:30 pm EST – Reception and Viewing of Design That! Design Challenge Entries (in-person at GVSU's Pew Campus, DeVos Center)
6:30pm EST – Astronaut Jeanette Epps, PhD. (ret.) (in-person at the Loosemore Auditorium, GVSU Pew Campus, DeVos Center)
Schedule for Saturday
11am EST "Launch Your Curiosity: Igniting a Love for STEAM" presented by guest speaker and retired astronaut Jeanette Epps, PhD. (11:00 a.m. - Tickets and more information at grpm.org)
10am - 5:00 pm EST
- Learn from student-submitted projects designing solutions for the future of space exploration.
- Watch astronomy shows in the Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium.
- See museum artifacts related to space, space travel, and Roger B. Chaffee.
- Enjoy many other family-friendly activities related to space, including (subject to change):
- Enjoy many other family-friendly activities related to space, including (subject to change):
- Build Stations - Create at a variety of build and activity stations throughout the museum.
- Grand Rapids Amateur Astronomical Association View objects through telescopes and learn more about stargazing.
- NASA- Meet a NASA scientist and learn about the science that goes into space exploration.
- GVSU Physics Department showcase - students from the physics department will do hands-on activities.
- Art Vendors- Be inspired by celestial art created by local artists.
- Activity Stations and Displays- Engage in many more activities and demonstrations as you interact with our community STEAM partners and organizations.
- Enjoy many other family-friendly activities related to space, including (subject to change):
- Partners include: Studio Hromi LLC, NASA Blast Bites, GVSU Physics Club, MooZoo Slime Shop LLC., Van Andel Institute for Education, Kent District Library, Michigan Geological Survey, Underwater Robotics, Bricks & Minifigs Grand Rapids, Cosmic Bag Studio, Grand Rapids Amateur Astronomical Association (GRAAA), That ONE Team, and the Gerald R. Ford International Airport Authority