Star Trek Creator’s Ashes Will Be Sent to Deep Space on Blue Origin Rocket

Plans are underway for a Blue Origin rocket launch that will transport the ashes of Star Trek stars into space. Blue Origin has announced that they plan to use a new Vulcan rocket, which is named after the Vulcan species that feature in the Star Trek franchise. Blue Origin expects the rocket launch to take place sometime in 2022 or 2023. The Vulcan rocket will carry the ashes of Star Trek creator, Gene Roddenberry, and his wife Majel Barrett, who portrayed several characters in the original Star Trek series. The shipment will also contain the ashes of actor James Doohan, who played the Star Trek Enterprise engineer, Scotty, and the ashes of 147 Star Trek fans.

Vulcan Rocket Ashes Launch Fulfils Promise Made to Majel Barrett

Blue Origin will partner with Celestis to perform the upcoming Vulcan rocket launch. In a recently released statement, Celestis CEO, Charles Chafer, revealed that the launch marks the fulfilment of a promise he made to Majel Barrett in 1997. Chafer promised that he would transport Barrett’s ashes into deep space, along with her husband’s ashes. This is also Celestis’s special line of work as the company focuses on providing space burials and memorial services.

Blue Origin Mission Will Also Deposit Lunar Payload

The Vulcan rocket is also set to carry a second payload on its memorial mission into deep space. The craft will deposit a new, Peregrine lunar lander that has been developed by Astrobotics. The Blue Origin craft will set the lunar lander on its course for the Moon as it bypasses the planet with its funeral payload.