The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) is pleased to announce a new show titled: Big Astronomy: People, Paces, Discoveries, is coming to the Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium which features three observatories located in Chile, in some of the world’s most extreme and remote places. The show will be part of the schedule of programmatic offerings at the Chaffee Planetarium beginning Friday, Nov. 25.
“Big Astronomy: People, Paces, Discoveries” showcases the people needed to run an observatory. (Courtesy, Grand Rapids Public Museum)
Through stunning visualizations, Big Astronomy: People, Places, Discoveries shows examples of the multitude of STEM careers needed to keep these great observatories working. The show is narrated by Barbara Rojas-Ayala, a Chilean astronomer. This new show will be featured in the Chaffee Planetarium’s winter schedule among audience favorites such as Ice Worlds and Let it Snow!
“What I love about Big Astronomy is that it shows visitors, especially students and children, the real people who work on these world-class observatories. We get to meet not just the astronomers, but the engineers, technicians, and teachers who contribute to the work of astronomy,” said Jack Daleske, the GRPM’s Planetarium and Theater Manager. “We want audiences to see themselves in the people they see in our shows, and Big Astronomy will help make that connection for viewers.”
Big Astronomy: People, Paces, Discoveries will be part of the regular show schedule at the GRPM’s Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium, beginning on Friday, Nov. 25. Tickets are $4 with general admission, $5 for planetarium-only access, and $2 for Museum members. Capacity is limited and advance ticketing is recommended. Tickets to Big Astronomy: People, Places, Discoveries are available by visiting grpm.org/planetarium. Showtimes can also be reserved for school groups in English or Spanish by visiting grpm.org/schools.
Big Astronomy is a multifaceted research and outreach project supported by several partners and funded by the National Science Foundation.
The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) and Grand Valley State University announced today that the annual Roger That! conference and event is returning on Friday, Feb. 19, and Saturday, Feb. 20. Roger That! celebrates space exploration and the life of Grand Rapids native, Roger B. Chaffee, with a multi-day virtual experience, hosted by both organizations.
“The Museum is thrilled to partner with GVSU for the fifth year to celebrate the life of Roger B. Chaffee and space exploration through a series of free public events,” said Rob Schuitema, the GRPM’s Director of Public Programs. “Although the celebration is virtual this year, attendees are going to be fully engaged and intrigued by the incredible lineup of guest speakers and presentations that address space, science, art and more.”
GVSU will host a virtual academic conference consisting of a diverse lineup of panelists including meteor scientists, engineers, artists, experts on virtual reality, physicists, space collection curators and astronauts. Registration required. For more information on GVSU’s guest lecture lineup, schedule and to register, visit gvsu.edu/rogerthat.
Roger Chaffee died with his fellow astronauts in a training exercise. (Grand Rapids Public Museum)
“Going virtual has allowed us to include speakers from around the country and around the world (Australia and Vatican City) and will also allow conference participants to tune in from everywhere,” said Deana Weibel, event co-organizer and GVSU professor of anthropology. “For instance, we have a visual effects panel composed of Hugo, Emmy and Oscar awardees. Since this year’s event is virtual, we felt it was important to include discussion from members of an industry that helps take us where we can’t be.”
Public events hosted as part of Roger That! include a livestream of a 1925 sci-fi silent film “Our Heavenly Bodies,” accompanied by the acoustics of the GRPM’s Mighty Wurlitzer Theater Organ; a webinar led by Dr. Brent Bos, who is a West Michigan native and NASA scientist; and a science fiction panel discussion featuring Hollywood special effects artists. To learn more about public presentations taking place as part of Roger That! visit grpm.org/RogerThat.
Public Virtual Events
The GRPM will kick off its public celebration on Friday, February 19 at 7:30 p.m. with a special virtual presentation of the 1925 sci-fi German silent film, “Our Heavenly Bodies,” accompanied by the dynamic sounds of the 1928 Mighty Wurlitzer Theater Organ. This performance will be live streamed from the GRPM’s Meijer Theater and will be available to watch via a Zoom link. Tickets are free, but must be reserved in advance due to limited spots. Tickets are available by visiting grpm.org/RogerThat.
On Saturday, Feb. 20, at noon Dr. Brent Bos, West Michigan native, senior research physicist at NASA Goddard Flight Center, and camera operator of the OSIRIS-REx asteroid mission, will host a webinar titled Bombshells at Bennu: Revelations from NASA’s First Asteroid Sample Return Mission. This webinar will be live streamed from the GRPM’s Meijer Theater and will be available to watch via a Zoom link. Tickets are free, but must be reserved in advance due to limited spots. Tickets are available by visiting grpm.org/RogerThat.
The celebration will conclude with a panel discussion, Art and Special Effects in Science Fiction, on February 20, starting at 3 p.m. The panel will be led by four Hollywood special effects artists: Vincent Di Fate, Ron Miller, Robert Skotak and Rick Sternbach. This group of artists have produced Oscar, Emmy and Hugo winning achievements, and will discuss the role of art in science fiction, while focusing on the introduction of special effects in silent films. The panelists will reflect on Friday’s silent film of “Our Heavenly Bodies” as well as share their own stories, experiences and artwork. Q and A will follow. The panel discussion will be available to watch via a Zoom link. Tickets are free, but must be reserved in advance due to limited spots. Register at gvsu.edu/rogerthat.
Visitors are encouraged to continue celebrating space exploration by visiting the GRPM’s Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium, which features a new show Incoming! that explores asteroids, comets and meteors. A live show, created by the GRPM, will accompany the movie portion of Incoming! in partnership with NASA scientist Brent Bos. In addition to the show, the GRPM also partnered with Brent Bos and created a set of new interactive experiences outside of the Chaffee Planetarium. These include a lunar crater station, meteors under a microscope and a meteor pinball machine.
The Planetarium lobby also features an exhibit with Roger B. Chaffee related artifacts that tell a detailed story of his life.
The GRPM is open during regular business hours with capacity limits. Advance tickets are required for entry. Planetarium lobby interactives and displays are included with general admission. Planetarium shows are an additional cost and can be purchased at grpm.org/planetarium.
Roger B. Chaffee and the Apollo Tragedy
On Jan. 27, 1967, tragedy struck NASA’s Apollo program when a flash fire occurred in command module 012 during a launch pad test of the Apollo/Saturn space vehicle being prepared for the first piloted flight, the AS-204 mission. Three astronauts, Lt. Col. Virgil I. Grissom, a veteran of Mercury and Gemini missions; Lt. Col. Edward H. White, the astronaut who had performed the first United States extravehicular activity during the Gemini program; and Grand Rapids Native Roger B. Chaffee, an astronaut preparing for his first spaceflight, died in this tragic accident. The Grand Rapids Public Museum renamed its planetarium to the Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium the same year. The Planetarium was originally opened in 1994 and has gone through renovations to provide the best experience for Planetarium visitors.
Roger B. Chaffee, born in Grand Rapids, MI, was an American naval officer and aviator, aeronautical engineer, and NASA astronaut in the Apollo program.
The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) announced today that a Backyard Stargazing virtual meet-up from the GRPM’s Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium will be offered to GRPM members and the public on Thursday, July 23 at 4:30 p.m.
Virtual visitors will journey the depths of the universe, alongside the GRPM’s planetarium experts to learn about the upcoming Perseid meteor shower, tips and tricks on how to spot planets and constellations in the night sky and more.
“The planetarium is a large part of the GRPM experience,” said Kate Kocienski, the GRPM’s Vice President of Marketing and PR. “We are happy to offer affordable, educational programming during this time when we are unable to welcome visitors to the Chaffee Planetarium. In this program, visitors of all ages can enjoy learning about upcoming celestial events.”
Backyard Stargazing is free for GRPM members and only $2 (per link) for the general public. Capacity is limited; early registration is recommended. Only one ticket link is needed per household. Tickets can be reserved or purchased a grpm.org/Calendar.
Meet-ups are in webinar style held via Zoom, so attendees will be able to see the GRPM panelists, but not each other. A brief Q & A session will follow the presentation.
The Grand Rapids Public Museum is now open and welcoming visitors. Explore three floors of core exhibitions, along with Bodies Revealed, extended through September 27. Limited capacity; advance ticketing is required. For additional details about the new GRPM visitor experience, visit grpm.org/the-grpms-new-visitor-experience/. At this time, the Chaffee Planetarium is temporarily closed. For updates, please visit grpm.org.
On the far right is Astronaut Roger B. Chaffee with his crew. Photo courtesy of NASA
By David Thompson
A full-sized bronze statue of Apollo Astronaut Roger B. Chaffee will be unveiled in his hometown of Grand Rapids at 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 19. Chaffee’s widow Martha and daughter Sheryl Lyn plan to attend the event, taking place at the corner of East Fulton Street and Sheldon Avenue NE, near the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum.
Chaffee was born and raised in Grand Rapids, where he was a 1953 graduate of Grand Rapids Central High School. He went on to become a U.S. naval aviator who flew missions during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1961.
In 1963, NASA selected Chaffee for its third group of astronauts. In 1966, he joined the crew of AS-204 (Apollo 1), which was to be NASA’s first three-man flight. Chaffee, along with his crewmates Virgil “Gus” Grissom and Ed White, died on January 27, 1967, in flash fire during a launch pad test at Kennedy Space Center, Florida.
His parents, Donald and Blanche Chaffee, had moved to the City of Wyoming where the former Kent County Airport landing strip was renamed the Roger B. Chaffee Boulevard. Also the American Legion Roger B. Chaffee Post 154 is located in City of Wyoming.
The Michigan Military Preservation Society (MMPS), together with the Lowell American Legion Post #152, raised the funds for the statue. MMPS is a non-profit organization of veterans whose vision is to honor historical contributions made by West Michigan vets.
CMDR David L. Thompson, USN (Ret.) chaired the project, with MMPS board members Dan Pfeiffer and Bud Vierson. This group chose respected sculptor and Grand Rapids native J. Brett Grill to undertake the project.
“We conducted a nationwide search to find the absolute finest possible sculptor to handle this commission,” said Thompson. “We wanted an artist who worked in bronze, and who could create a lifelike work of art. To our delight, we found Brett Grill, and we couldn’t be more pleased with the final product.”
Roger B. Chaffee Photo courtesy of the Grand Rapids Public Museum
Grill has become a highly sought-after sculptor, who recently returned to his hometown to open a Grand Rapids studio. In recent years, Grill has sculpted several likenesses of President Gerald R. Ford, on display in Grand Rapids and distinguished locations around the country.
Additional commissions, including Amway co-founder Jay Van Andel, Michigan Football Coach Glenn E. “Bo” Schembechler, L. William Seidman and others are displayed in well-known locations in Grand Rapids and around the state.
“I was deeply humbled to receive this commission,” said Grill. “Roger Chaffee is a hometown hero whose sacrifice helped ensure that mankind successfully reached the Moon. While a street and a building in Grand Rapids bear his name, his story may be less well known. For these reasons I’m immensely proud to be a part of its telling.”
The bronze statue alone stands over seven feet tall. Sitting atop a stone base adds another 36 inches. “Roger Chaffee will stand tall over this high traffic intersection in the heart of Grand Rapids for generations to come,” added Thompson.
The MMPS has also commissioned a documentary produced by West Michigan filmmaker Daniel Joel Deal. The program will track the arc of the project, starting with selecting Grill as the artist. It includes Grill’s detailed research of Chaffee and his lifelong passion for flight, visiting the NASA archives, creating the initial clay sculptures, right through to the foundry casting and installing the final bronze work.
MMPS plans to make the film available to schools, and talks are underway to air this fascinating story on television.
“For a statue of this caliber, it was critically important to me that every detail is accurate,” added Grill. “For a space suit that never flew on a mission, that meant doing some serious digging to learn some of the details needed to recreate Roger in his pressure suit and holding his helmet.”
This accuracy can only add value to a statue that will reside on the NW corner of East Fulton Street and Sheldon Avenue in downtown Grand Rapids, near the entrance of the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum. Beginning on May 19, children and adults alike will have a chance to see the man from Grand Rapids who played an important role in achieving humanity’s goal of walking on the moon.
