9am EST Mark Staves, Professor of Biology, Grand Valley State University (Zoom/In-Person hybrid format)

Title: Plants in Space: Why, How and Who Cares?

10am EST  Niamh Shaw, Space Journalist, Scientist, and Educator, Dream Big Space and Science Communications (Zoom)

Title: Living In The Extremes - Stories from Analog Missions Across the Globe

11am EST Tim Evans, Director, GVSU Herbarium and Professor of Biology, Grand Valley State University (Zoom)

Title: Houston, we have a botanist! My 45-day simulated space mission at NASA's Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA)

12pm EST Break for Lunch

12:30pm EST George Pantalos, Professor of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery and Biomedical Engineering, University of Louisville (Zoom)

Title: "Flight Research – Steppingstone to Space"

1:30pm EST Debarati Chattopadhyay, Europa Clipper Operations Technical Lead at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (Zoom)

Title: Title: Europa Clipper  - the quest for habitability on an icy moon

2:30pm EST -  Mihir Gondhalekar, Co-Founder at StarPath (Zoom)

Title: "In-Situ Resource Utilization"

4pm-5:30pm EST -  In-Person Workshops at the Seidman Center (come and go, no set start time)

4:00pm EST - Workshop Event #1: Brad Ambrose, Professor of Physics, GVSU (in-person at the Seidman Campus, all ages)

Title: Prepare for the April 2024 Total Eclipse!

4:00pm EST - Workshop Event #2: Sara Maas, PCEC Outreach Coordinator, GVSU (in-person at the Seidman College of Business Building at the Pew Campus, kids under 10 will need an adult partner to help with construction )

Title: Solar Cybugs

5:30 pm EST – Reception and Viewing of Design That! Design Challenge Entries (in-person in lobby of Seidman College of Business Building at the Pew Campus)

6:30pm EST – Astronaut Robert Lee Satcher, Jr., MD, PhD. (ret.) (in-person at the Seidman Forum at the Seidman College of Business Building at the Pew Campus, also via Zoom)

Title: "Human Factors in Space Flight"

 

11:00am

“Human Factors in Space Flight” presented by guest speaker and retired astronaut Robert L. Satcher, Jr., MD, PhD. (11:00 a.m. -  Tickets and more information at grpm.org)

10:00am to 5:00pm

• Learn from student-submitted projects designing solutions for the future of space exploration.
• Watch astronomy shows in the Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium.
  • All shows include a "space news" preview of NASA's upcoming Artemis II mission!
• 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.
    • Astronaut Training Mission- Earn a prize for completing an Astronaut Training Mission as you engage in different training activities around the museum.
    • Underwater ROV with Mark Gleason -  use pvc pipes, foam noodles, and small submersible motors to create a underwater ROV that  can  be tested in a tank full of water.  Learn about underwater discovery and the important role that Remote Operated Vehicles play in underwater exploration.
    • Gerald R. Ford International Airport- Create airplanes and learn about the airport through fun games and activities. 
    • 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.
    • Activity Stations and Displays- Engage in many more activities and demonstrations as you interact with some of our STEAM partners and organizations.