What Does it Take to be an Astronaut?
On April 9, 1959, NASA formally announced the “Mercury 7” astronauts. These men were an elite group of military test pilots selected to be the first American astronauts. It was a pivotal moment in the history of space exploration, and at the time, NASA had only existed as an agency for six months. Overnight, names like John Glenn, Virgil “Gus” Grissom, and Alan Shepherd became world-famous.
President Eisenhower assumed the best candidates would be military test pilots who excelled in a high-risk profession. These men were subjected to cutting-edge physical and psychological tests to select the best candidates. An astronaut isn’t just someone who would risk their life to fly a rocket to space, but also someone who could take the rocket apart and put it back together.
In the 60 years since that historic announcement, hundreds of people have achieved the title of astronaut. Included among their ranks are not just military men, but also doctors, scientists, school teachers and engineers. All people who bravely risked their lives to pursue the dream of space exploration.
Roger B. Chaffee’s Story.
There are two sides needed to make a great astronaut: one side is the audacity of a “throttle-jockey” pilot and the other side is the careful inquiry of an engineer. Roger B. Chaffee summed up those two sides perfectly. Young Roger Chaffee had a role model in his father, who was a “barnstorming” pilot that astonished Americans with death-defying barrel rolls and loop-de-loops. At home, the father and son duo carefully constructed model airplanes and like many science-minded children of his day, Roger was an avid amateur radio enthusiast. Hands-on tinkering with electronics led him along to pursue a major in aeronautical engineering.
After graduating from Central High School in Grand Rapids, MI, Roger B. Chaffee served his country as a Navy pilot. Long before Chaffee became an astronaut, those “two sides” were appreciated by his fellow aviators in the Navy. One of his first jobs was repairing an A3D jet engine photo reconnaissance plane. Chaffee became so familiar with the cutting edge aircraft from working on it that he was given special permission to fly it.
Then in 1959, NASA announced the “Mercury Seven” astronauts and Chaffee knew that he needed to join their numbers. In the decades that followed the announcement, millions of people have been inspired by the adventure of space travel but only a few hundred people would ever travel beyond Earth. In 1959, Chaffee was one of those millions but he also knew he had the skills and the drive to reach heights beyond Earth. Every year afterward, he would request to be assigned as an astronaut test pilot. In 1963, his dream came true and he was selected to be one of the nation’s very few astronauts. His training began the next year, and he lived in a world of astronaut training which included engineering exams, physical exercise, psychological testing, desert island survival training, and everything else that could be imagined for this project of spaceflight, unprecedented in human history.
Astronauts would train for several years for a single flight to space. The flight date for Chaffee’s was scheduled for February 21, 1967. Unfortunately, less than a month before the scheduled flight, a fire broke out in the cabin during a routine test, tragically killing the astronauts onboard. Roger B. Chaffee, along with Gus Grisson and Ed White died on January 27, 1967, during that routine test mission, which we now call “Apollo 1.” This group was chosen to be the first Apollo flight crew because they were the best. At the time, Chaffee was the youngest person to be selected for a NASA mission. He was only 31.
It was after this tragedy that the Grand Rapids Public Museum’s planetarium was renamed the “Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium.”
Inspiring The Next Generation of Astronauts.
The GRPM’s Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium continues to keep Chaffe’s legacy alive. Every year, hundreds of thousands of children experience the wonder and adventure of space exploration. They also have opportunities to develop their own interest in science with hands-on exhibits and programs. In the lobby of the Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium, you can see a commemorative exhibit including Chaffee’s flight jacket, school report card (not straight “A”s) and other artifacts that represent his early life through adulthood, and how his legacy continues to remain relevant.
The planetarium keeps Roger B. Chaffee’s name alive in another important way, too.
Roger That! Annual Celebration.
Every year, GRPM works in partnership with Grand Valley State University and NASA’s Michigan Space Grant Consortium to host Roger That!, a conference dedicated to space exploration. The event always includes public outreach events to inspire people in the ongoing accomplishments of space travel.
On February 18 and 19, the Museum will host a full day of hands-on STEM activities, demonstrations and more. Students are encouraged to take part in the Design That! challenge for the opportunity to win prizes including a pizza party for their class and display their work at the Museum on Saturday, February 19. The Design That! The conference this year will be a hybrid event. If you are interested in Roger That!, please visit gvsu.edu/RogerThat to learn more.
Celebrating Women in Space.
The keynote speaker on Saturday, February 19 will be astronaut Colonel Eileen Collins. Eileen Collins was the first woman to pilot a space shuttle in 1995. She was also entrusted as commander of the 2005 Discovery mission, the momentous return to flight following the Columbia disaster.
Eileen Collins is one of 65 women to visit space since Valentina Tereshkova first made history in 1963. Included among their number are Kalpana Chawla and Laurel Clark, who lost their lives in the Columbia disaster, and Christa McAuliffe and Judith Resnik who sacrificed their lives during Challenger. Human space travel has always been a dangerous mission and brave women have made the ultimate sacrifice. But, women have devoted their lives to space exploration in other ways as well. Roger That! also celebrates the women behind the astronauts such as Katherine Johnson and Margaret Hamilton. Without such women the great accomplishments of space travel would be impossible.
When we look to the challenges and promises of the new space age, we need to make sure that we give future astronauts the tools they need, just like young Roger B. Chaffee and Eileen Collins had the chance to explore their passions. It is incredibly exciting to have such a historically important figure as Eileen Collins here in Grand Rapids to share her story and inspire a new generation of astronauts.
By: Jack Daleske, the GRPM’s Planetarium Manager