The ashes of “Star Trek” legend Nicholas Nichols are launched into deep space aboard a Vulcan rocket

late “Star Trek” Actress Nichelle Nichols’ ashes will boldly go where few have gone before when they are launched into space on a historic Enterprise flight later this year.

Nichols, who is best known for playing the iconic Lieutenant Nyota Oora in all three seasons original show From 1966-1969, she died on July 31. She was 89.

Launching later this year on a United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket, Nichols will live long and thrive among the stars through Celestis Inc. , the leader in memorial spaceflight.

Nichols’ remains will join the late “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry, who died in 1991, and his deceased wife and Magil Barrett Roddenberry, the “first lady of Star Trek,” who died in 2008.

The remains of the late “Star Trek” actor James Doohan, who played Montgomery “Scottie” Scott, who died in 2005, and visual effects pioneer Douglas Trumbull, who died in February, will also be included in the mission to revive the unique “star.” reunion trip.

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Charles M. Schafer, co-founder and CEO of Celestis Inc. “We are truly honored to add a legendary actress, activist, and teacher to the Enterprise Flight manifesto,” in a statement.

“Now we will have the Enterprise Flight on board the one who fully embodies Star Trek’s vision as a diverse, inclusive and exploration universe.”

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

On the mission, Nichols will also be joined by her son, Kyle Johnson, who will provide his DNA to allow him to make the journey with his mother.

“My only regret is that I cannot share this eternal honor that I stand by my mother’s side at the launch event,” Johnson said.

“Star Trek” actress Nichelle Nichols passed away at the age of 89 on July 31, 2022. She attended Los Angeles Comic-Con in December 2021.
(Albert El Ortega)

“I know she will be deeply honored for this unique experience and I enthusiastically encourage all of her fans to join us indirectly by contributing your NN-inspired thoughts, emotions, memories, successes, dreams and aspirations via email to be launched with her on this journey! Awesome!” Johnson said in a statement.

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Fans are encouraged to submit their names and tributes to Nichols as part of a public worldwide memorial page on enterprise-flight.com, which can then be digitized and released with them on the flight.

by Celestes200 flight capsules containing cremated remains, letters and DNA samples from customers around the world will also join the endless interplanetary space journey.

Nichols broke barriers for black women in Hollywood and was an advocate for spaceflight programs as NASA’s chief recruiting officer.

Clockwise from top left: Nichelle Nichols, DeForest Kelley, William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy in the TV series “Star Trek” circa 1969.
(CBS photo archive)

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Nichelle Nichols was a leading actress, advocate, and dear friend of NASA. At a time when black women were rarely seen on screen, Nichelle’s portrayal as Nyota Uhura in Star Trek represented a mirror of America that promoted civil rights. Nichelle’s advocacy transcended television and NASA transformed, ” NASA Director Bill Nelson said in a statement.

After Apollo 11, Nichelle made it her mission to inspire women and people of color to join this agency, changing the face of STEM and exploring the universe. Nichelle’s mission is a NASA mission. Today, as we work to send the first woman and first person of color to the moon under Artemis, NASA is guided by Nichelle’s legacy. Nichols”.

President Joe Biden A statement released shortly after her death last month praised the actress for shattering stereotypes during a pivotal period in the civil rights movement.

“In Nichelle Nichols, our nation has lost the stage and screen pioneer who redefined what was possible for black Americans and women,” he said.

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He said she was from a “working class family from Illinois” and that she honed her skills as a Actor and singer in Chicago Before you tour the country with Duke Ellington and “Life to James Baldwin’s Words”.

“During the height of the civil rights movement, she shattered stereotypes by becoming the first black woman to play a major role in the prime time tv show Biden said through her groundbreaking portrayal of Lieutenant Oora in the original Star Trek. “With her dignity and authority, she helped tell a central story that reimagined scientific endeavors and discoveries. She continued that legacy by continuing to work with NASA to empower generations of Americans of every background to reach for the stars and beyond.”

Nichelle Nichols (left, as Uhura) and William Shatner (as Captain James T. 8, 1966.
(CBS photo archive)

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

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

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“He said, ‘You can’t do that,'” Nichols recalls. “It changed the face of television forever, and in turn, changed people’s minds,” the civil rights leader told her during a meeting.

During the third season of “Star Trek” Nichols and another series star, William Shatner, Who played Captain James T. Kirk, made television history when they exchanged an interracial kiss.