Several late Star Trek: The Original Series cast members' ashes will be sent into space as early as this year. Star Trek: The Original Series (shortened to TOS) first premiered on television in 1966. Despite only running for three seasons, TOS would launch one of the biggest sci-fi franchises in history. Since the 60s, the Star Trek franchise has grown to include 13 films, 12 TV series, and a slew of video games, novels, and comics.
TOS followed 7 main members of the U.S.S. Enterprise's bridge crew as they explored the galaxy, and dealt with various conflicts. Since TOS premiered, many of the series' original cast members have tragically passed away, including Leonard Nimoy (Spock), DeForest Kelley (Bones), James Doohan (Scotty), Majel Barrett Roddenberry (Nurse Chapel), and the show's creator, Gene Roddenberry. Nichelle Nichols, who was famously known for playing Uhura in TOS, passed away in late July 2022 at age 89. After her years spent on Star Trek, Nichols would go on to work with NASA on a special project dedicated to recruiting women and minority personnel. The program would go on to recruit Dr. Sally Ride, the first American female astronaut, and Guion Bluford, the first Black astronaut. Nichols is remembered not only for breaking barriers on television with Star Trek but for her incredibly important work with real-life space travel as well.
Almost a month after Nichols' death, it has been announced via Universe Today that a gram of Nichols' ashes, along with DNA samples taken from her and her son Kyle Johnson, will be launched into space. Celestis, a memorial spaceflight organization, will be sending Nichols' ashes into space on the "Enterprise" memorial mission, on a rocket named "Vulcan." The launch is scheduled to take place as early as December of 2022.
The "Enterprise" flight will launch from Cape Canaveral in Florida, and the rocket will "travel through deep space, leaving the Earth-Moon system." Along with Nichols' ashes will be the ashes of Doohan, Barrett Roddenberry, and Roddenberry. The "Enterprise" flight will also be carrying the ashes, DNA, messages, and inscribed names of other participants who have paid for the experience. Pricing for memorial spaceflights with Celestis ranges between $2,495 and $25,000.
In a testimonial from Doohan's wife, she writes that Doohan would have given anything to go into space and that the memorial spaceflight finally gives him his wish. While Nichols was never able to visit space herself - though, she did board a stratospheric observatory in 2015 - sending some of her ashes into space means she is finally able to visit the final frontier. Even though they have passed away, Nichols, Doohan, and the Roddenberrys changed space travel forever - and now, they're finally able to boldly go where only their Star Trek characters have gone before.
Source: Universe Today