‘Star Trek’ legend Nichelle Nichols’ ashes to be launched into deep space on Vulcan rocket

The ashes of the late “Star Trek” actress Nichelle Nichols will boldly go to where some had previously gone when she was launched into space later this year in a historic Enterprise flight.

Nichols, who Known for playing the iconic Lieutenant Nyota Uhura in all three seasons of original show From 1966-1969, he died on 31 July. She was 89 years old.

Launching later this year on United Launch Alliance’s aptly named Vulcan rocket, Nichols will live long and prosper among the stars via Celestis Inc., the leader in memorial spaceflights.

Nichols’ remains will be joined by the late “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry, who died in 1991, and his deceased wife and “Star Trek” first lady “Mazel Barrett Roddenberry, who passed away in 2008.”

Funeral remains of the late “Star Trek” actor James Doohan, who played Montgomery “Scotty” Scott and died in 2005, and visual effects pioneer Douglas Trumbull, who died in February, were also named the unique “Star”. will be included in the mission to mark Trek” Reunion Flight.

‘Star Trek’ actress Nichelle Nichols dies at 89

“We are truly honored to have a great actress, activist and educator included in the Enterprise Flight Manifest,” Charles M. Chafer, Co-Founder and CEO of Celestis Inc., said in a release.

“Now our Enterprise flight will be carrying the man who fully embodied the vision of Star Trek as a diverse, inclusive and exploratory universe.”

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The flight is scheduled to travel between 150-300 million kilometers into deep space and beyond the Earth-Moon system.

On the mission, Nicholas will be accompanied by his son, Kyle Johnson, who will submit his DNA to allow him to make this journey with his mother.

“I only regret that I cannot share this eternal tribute to my mother standing with me at the launch,” Johnson said.

“I know she will be deeply honored for this unique experience and will enthusiastically thank all her fans via email for launching her thoughts, affection, memories, successes, dreams and aspirations inspired by NN with her on this flight. Would encourage you to join us! Awesome!” Johnson said in a statement.

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Fans are encouraged to submit their name and tribute to Nichols as part of a worldwide public memorial page on enterprise-flight.com, which can then be digitized and launched with him on the journey. .

Through Celestis, 200 flight capsules containing funeral remains, messages and DNA samples from customers around the world will also engage in endless interplanetary space travel.

Nichols broke down barriers for black women in Hollywood and was an advocate for space flight programs as recruiter-in-chief of NASA.

“Nickel Nichols was a leading actress, lawyer, and dear friend of NASA. At a time when black women were rarely seen on screen, Nickel’s portrayal of Nyota Uhura on Star Trek gave America a mirror that saw civilians Strengthened rights. Nickel’s advocacy crossed over. Television and changed NASA,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a release.

“After Apollo 11, Nickel made it its mission to inspire women and people of color to join this agency, change the face of STEM, and explore the universe. Nickel’s mission is NASA’s mission. Today “As we work to send the first woman and first person of color to the Moon under Artemis, NASA is guided by the legacy of Nichelle Nichols.”

President Joe Biden issued a statement shortly after her death last month, praising the actress for breaking stereotypes during a pivotal time in the civil rights movement.

“In Nickel Nichols, our country has lost a trailblazer of stage and screen that has redefined what is possible for black Americans and women,” he said.

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She said she was from “a working-class family in Illinois” and honed her skills as a Actors and singers in Chicago Before touring the country with Duke Ellington and “lived the words of James Baldwin”.

“During the height of the civil rights movement, she broke stereotypes and became the first black woman to star in a leading role. primetime television show With his groundbreaking portrayal of Lieutenant Uhura in the original Star Trek,” Biden said. “With a defined dignity and authority, he helped tell a central story that redefined scientific discovery and discoveries. And he continues this legacy by working with NASA to empower generations of Americans from every background to reach for the stars and beyond.”

Biden continued: “Our nation is forever indebted to inspiring artists like Nickel Nichols for showing us a future where unity, dignity and respect are the cornerstones of every society.”

She earned praise for breaking stereotypes for black actresses, with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. personally encouraging her to stay with the TV series when she expressed doubts about continuing to work on the program. She met him at a civil rights gathering in 1967, when he had decided not to return for the show’s second season.

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“He said, ‘You can’t do that,'” Nichols recalled. “You’ve changed the face of television forever, and therefore, you’ve changed people’s minds,” she said as the civil rights leader told her during a meeting.

During the third season of “Star Trek”, Nichols and another series star, William Shatner, The one who played Captain James T. Kirk made TV history by sharing an interracial kiss.