Commander John Herrington, PhD, is a retired NASA astronaut, U.S. Navy Commander, and the first enrolled member of a Native American tribe (the Chickasaw Nation) to fly in space, During the 2002 STS-113 mission, where he served as a Mission Specialist, he performed three spacewalks focused on the International Space Station's construction (these spacewalks are commemorated on the back of the 2019 version of the Sacagawea dollar). Herrington holds a PhD in education from the University of Idaho and a Master’s in aeronautical engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School. His service as a naval aviator, test pilot, and astronaut has earned him multiple awards and honors, including induction into both the Chickasaw and International Air & Space Halls of Fame. Dr. Herrington continues to share his experiences through public speaking and his children’s book, Mission to Space.

Communication and Space

Communication and Space, Roger That!'s 2025 theme, refers to a number of ways space exploration and communication can intersect. Humans on the ground communicate with people in space, engineers communicate with spacecraft, and a lot of amazing communicators work right here on Earth to help communicate ideas and concepts about space exploration to the larger community. Our theme of "communication" encompasses all of those meanings and more!

Roger That IV will start on Friday, February 14th (Valentine's Day!) with a lineup of amazing online speakers then transition to in-person events later in the day. There will be more events and activities at the Grand Rapids Public Museum on Saturday, February 15th. 

Our confirmed guest list includes: Space-focused composer Joni Greene; mechanical engineer/solar system ambassador Shayla Redmond; science fact and fiction film director, Jeffrey Morris; JPL engineer/Voyager 1 team member Bruce Waggoner; astronomy journalist Lisa Grossman; and OSIRIS-REx Missions Operations Manager, Andy Calloway. 

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Roger That! Conference

Roger B. Chaffee was born February 15, 1935 in Grand Rapids, Michigan and went on to become one of the city’s favorite sons. An engineer, pilot and astronaut, Chaffee lost his life in the Apollo 1 accident on January 27, 1967. This event, scholarly in nature and open to the general public, is co-organized by Grand Valley State University, the Grand Rapids Public Museum and the Roger B. Chaffee Scholarship Fund. Roger That! seeks to honor Chaffee and highlight local research in a two-day celebration of space exploration.

Roger That! 2024 is a series of Zoom and in-person presentations (exact format TBA) taking place on both Friday, February 16th and Saturday, February 17th. Speakers from a number of different fields will present, in science- and society-based talks and panels.