Latest news with #StarTrek
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Nichelle Nichols Space Camp for Teen Girls to Open in 2026, Honoring Late 'Star Trek' Icon's Legacy (Exclusive)
A new space camp for teen girls is set to open in January, named for the late Star Trek actress Nichelle Nichols The camp, a product of the actress's namesake foundation, aims to bring science and technology education to a new generation Other stars from the Star Trek universe are on board with the project, singing its praises in an exclusive chat with PEOPLEStar Trek's Nichelle Nichols broke barriers in her time on Earth, and three years after her death, she's continuing to open doors for women and girls. In January, the Nichelle Nichols Foundation will launch the Nichelle Nichols Space Camp, a weekend-long experience for female teens 14 to 18 at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Ala. According to the website, "Students will work as a team and confront mission scenarios that require dynamic problem solving and critical thinking — 21st century learning skills required in the workplace." For Nichols' former Star Trek costar, William Koenig, it's the perfect fit. "It's a positive project to be involved in," the 88-year-old tells PEOPLE exclusively. "Creating a career which is so exciting and so full of promise is great." Star Trek: Prodigy's Bonnie Gordon, 39, will serve as a mentor at the camp, a job she calls a "no-brainer" to take. "Not only am I a huge fan of space exploration and science, I'm just a big fan of mentoring young girls and children in science," she tells PEOPLE. "I feel like there's so much here on Earth that we have yet to explore and so much that NASA and space programs have accomplished in space, advancing technologies. There's just so much we can learn where everything's connected." Plus, she adds, "Pushing these young women to be whatever they want to be, pushing the boundaries of not just space, but science and their own personal discoveries, is just a dream come true for me." Gordon crossed paths with Nichols in their shared time in the Star Trek universe at fan conventions and events. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. "I'm very lucky to have met her," she shares. "You could see the joy she felt when meeting fans, especially the women she'd inspired." Koenig feels the same. "She was extremely warm-hearted," he says. "We had a lot of laughs together. She was the first person who came over to me from the series and introduced herself; I remember that and I thought it was very sweet. We got along quite well over the years." Nichols — who died in July of 2022 at 89 years old — enjoyed decades in the spotlight thanks to her screen work, her music career and her activism to help more women succeed in the field of astronomy. Her breakout role came when Gene Roddenberry cast the actress as Lt. Nyota Uhura on the original Star Trek series. When the show first aired in 1966, Nichols was one of the first Black women to play a major role on primetime television. Following the end of the science-fiction series, Nichols worked to recruit diverse astronauts to NASA, including women and people of color. Among those who were recruited as a result of the program was Sally Ride, the first female American astronaut. Not long after her death, her ashes were sent into space via a Celestial Memorial Spaceflight. "I don't think people realize how groundbreaking she was, not just in entertainment, but in science, because so many little girls who watched Star Trek growing up saw that they could have a future in science," Gordon says. "There's so much that she's left behind. She was a big believer in the philosophy of infinite diversity and infinite combinations, which is basically the Vulcan philosophy." While she's excited for the actual content of camp — simulations, moon walks and more — Gordon is thrilled "to be part of something that moves life forward," she says. "There's so much happening right now where people are trying to cut and constrain when it comes to science, where people who are different or have different values or views are being constrained," she says. "I feel like now is the time to break those boxes open and work together. We can find common ground on so many different levels if we communicate with others and not let hate or anger blind us." The Nichelle Nichols Foundation does just that, she adds. And she hopes to see the camp grow and thrive for years to come. "I know the goal is to make this program bigger and better," she adds. "This is just the beginning. And if it continues to grow, that just means it's going to give even more opportunities to young women in the future." Registration for the Nichelle Nichols Space Camp is now open. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
This Texas company has sent remains of sent 'Star Trek' actors, others to space
Since the dawn of humanity, we humans have found countless ways to honor our dead. From traditional burials to the scattering of one's ashes at sea, the methods for the deceased to be honored are as varied as the cultures that comprise our world. But what about those who prefer to be memorialized on a more cosmic scale? Well, it turns out they have that option, too. For about three decades, a company based in Texas has billed itself as the first and most prominent business to offer what's referred to as "space burials." Celestis, which recently conducted a mission from California, offers services that involve sending cremated remains or human DNA beyond Earth's atmosphere. Often, familiar faces and well-known public figures − from "Star Trek" cast members to U.S. presidents − have had their remains flown to orbit as part of a celestial burial or memorial. Many of Celestis' memorial spaceflights have launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, and Southern California. Here's what to know about Celestis and its memorial spaceflights. Celestis is a company based in Houston, Texas, specializing in transporting human remains to space for cosmic memorials. Capsules containing DNA and human remains are included as payloads on spacecraft launched into orbit from all over the world by other companies, including SpaceX and the United Launch Alliance. Celestis' services allow for families to pay for cremated remains in capsules or DNA to be launched into space, where they can either return intact or remain until they reenter Earth's atmosphere, "harmlessly vaporizing like a shooting star in final tribute," the company says on its website. In another offering, the company facilitates the transportation of memorial capsules to interplanetary space well beyond the moon. Elysium Space, based in San Francisco, California, also offers memorial spaceflights. The company has conducted just three "space burial" missions since 2015, including from Hawaii, California and Florida, according to its website. Celestis' most recent payload of memorial capsules was included in a SpaceX rideshare mission known as Transporter 14. The mission got off the ground Monday, June 23, from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. A total of 166 individual Celestis memorial capsules were on board a Nyx spacecraft manufactured by Europe-based The Exploration Company (TEC,) which hitched a ride on SpaceX's famous Falcon 9 rocket. The payload of memorial capsules was part of about 70 total payloads, including small satellites, that the Falcon 9 helped to deliver for paying customers to a sun-synchronous orbit, meaning they matched Earth's rotation around the sun. The launch was meant to be Celestis' first-ever to return from an altitude high enough to be considered Earth's orbit. The Nyx module reached low-Earth orbit, where it traveled for three hours at about 17,000 miles per hour and completed two full orbits around Earth. But instead of safely reentering Earth's atmosphere to land in the Pacific Ocean as planned, the Nyx spacecraft's parachute failed and it crashed into the sea, losing the capsules. If you want to send your deceased loved one on a final cosmic journey, the cost to do so isn't that much different from the price of the average typical funeral or burial service. The cheapest option of sending memorial capsules to space and back, known as "Earth rise," starts at $3,495. The price to send a loved one's remains all the way up to orbit starts at $4,995. After that, though, the costs for Celestis' services start to climb. Both the company's lunar burial and interplanetary services start at $12,995, according to its website. The recent mission was Celestis' 25th overall since it was founded in 1994. The company's maiden voyage took place in April 1997, when a Pegasus rocket carrying the remains of 24 people, including "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry, launched over the Spanish Canary Islands. The flight capsules on board a Celestis spacecraft then reentered Earth's atmosphere about a month later. Celestis' first and only successful lunar burial mission to date then occurred a year later in January 1998 from what was then still called the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Conducted at NASA's request, the mission included a capsule on board the agency's Lunar Prospector containing the ashes of geologist Eugene Shoemaker. Celestis has no more missions planned for 2025, according to its website. The next flight, planned for early 2026, appears to be an orbital mission launching from Cape Canaveral Space Force Base in Florida. Reservations are open until Aug. 1, 2025. Celestis previously made headlines in January 2024 when its plans to land human remains on the moon's surface attracted some controversy. The plan was for the remains and DNA of more than 70 deceased people to be included on a lunar lander bound for the moon. That included – once again – remains of Roddenberry, as well as science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke. Elysium Space also contracted to have cremated human remains and DNA of clients placed aboard the lunar lander. But Navajo Nation, the largest tribe of Native Americans in the United States, vehemently opposed the lunar burial, penning a letter decrying the plans as "a profound desecration." Ultimately, though, the remains never made it to the moon's surface anyway. Pittsburgh-based aerospace company Astrobotic's Peregrine lander fell short of its destination when it began leaking a "critical" amount of propellant – instead burning up in Earth's atmosphere after launch. "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry and Arthur C. Clarke, best known for authoring "2001: A Space Odyssey" that inspired Stanley Kubrick's film of the same name, are not the only well-known people whose remains have flown to outer space on a Celestis mission. Among the notable names to have been included are several actors from the original "Star Trek" series and NASA astronauts. Here's a list Celestis provided to the USA TODAY Network: James Doohan, who portrayed Scotty in the original "Star Trek" series (remember the phrase, "Beam me up, Scotty"?) Nichelle Nichols, the first Black woman featured in a major television series who portrayed Nyota Uhura in "Star Trek" DeForest Kelley, who portrayed Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy in the original "Star Trek" series Three American presidents, George Washington, Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy, whose DNA in the form of hair samples was included on past flights Several NASA astronauts, including L. Gordon Cooper, one of the original Mercury 7 astronauts, and NASA's first Australian-American Astronaut, Philip K. Chapman Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cosmic burials? Company lets you send love one's remains to space
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
This company sends human remains to space for cosmic memorials. Many launch from Florida
Since the dawn of humanity, we humans have found countless ways to honor our dead. From traditional burials to the scattering of one's ashes at sea, the methods for the deceased to be honored are as varied as the cultures that comprise our world. But what about those who prefer to be memorialized on a more cosmic scale? Well, it turns out they have that option, too. For about three decades, a company based in Texas has billed itself as the first and most prominent business to offer what's referred to as "space burials." Celestis, which recently conducted a mission from California, offers services that involve sending cremated remains or human DNA beyond Earth's atmosphere. Often, familiar faces and well-known public figures − from "Star Trek" cast members to U.S. presidents − have had their remains flown to orbit as part of a celestial burial or memorial. Many of Celestis' memorial spaceflights have launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Base and NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Here's what to know about Celestis and its memorial spaceflights. Celestis is a company based in Houston, Texas, specializing in transporting human remains to space for cosmic memorials. Capsules containing DNA and human remains are included as payloads on spacecraft launched into orbit by other companies, including SpaceX and United Launch Alliance. Celestis' services allow for families to pay for cremated remains in capsules or DNA to be launched into space, where they can either return intact or remain until they reenter Earth's atmosphere, "harmlessly vaporizing like a shooting star in final tribute," the company says on its website. In another offering, the company facilitates the transportation of memorial capsules to interplanetary space well beyond the moon. Celestis' most recent payload of memorial capsules was included in a SpaceX rideshare mission known as Transporter 14. The mission got off the ground Monday, June 23, from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. A total of 166 individual Celestis memorial capsules were on board a Nyx spacecraft manufactured by Europe-based The Exploration Company (TEC,) which hitched a ride on SpaceX's famous Falcon 9 rocket. The payload of memorial capsules was part of about 70 total payloads, including small satellites, that the Falcon 9 helped to deliver for paying customers to a sun-synchronous orbit, meaning they matched Earth's rotation around the sun. The launch was meant to be Celestis' first-ever to return from an altitude high enough to be considered Earth's orbit. The Nyx module reached low-Earth orbit, where it traveled for three hours at about 17,000 miles per hour and completed two full orbits around Earth. But instead of safely reentering Earth's atmosphere to land in the Pacific Ocean as planned, the Nyx spacecraft's parachute failed and it crashed into the sea, losing the capsules. If you want to send your deceased loved one on a final cosmic journey, the cost to do so isn't that much different from the price of the average typical funeral or burial service. The cheapest option of sending memorial capsules to space and back, known as "Earth rise," starts at $3,495. The price to send a loved one's remains all the way up to orbit starts at $4,995. After that, though, the costs for Celestis' services start to climb. Both the company's lunar burial and interplanetary services start at $12,995, according to its website. The recent mission was Celestis' 25th overall since it was founded in 1994. The company's maiden voyage took place in April 1997, when a Pegasus rocket carrying the remains of 24 people, including "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry, launched over the Spanish Canary Islands. The flight capsules on board a Celestis spacecraft then reentered Earth's atmosphere about a month later. Celestis' first and only successful lunar burial mission to date then occurred a year later in January 1998 from what was then still called the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Conducted at NASA's request, the mission included a capsule on board the agency's Lunar Prospector containing the ashes of geologist Eugene Shoemaker. Celestis has no more missions planned for 2025, according to its website. The next flight, planned for early 2026, appears to be an orbital mission launching from Cape Canaveral Space Force Base. Reservations are open until Aug. 1, 2025. Celestis previously made headlines in January 2024 when its plans to land human remains on the moon's surface attracted some controversy. The plan was for the remains and DNA of more than 70 deceased people to be included on a lunar lander bound for the moon. That included – once again – remains from 'Star Trek' creator Gene Roddenberry, as well as science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke. But Navajo Nation, the largest tribe of Native Americans in the United States, vehemently opposed the lunar burial, penning a letter decrying the plans as "a profound desecration." Ultimately, though, the remains never made it to the moon's surface anyway. Pittsburgh-based aerospace company Astrobotic's Peregrine lander fell short of its destination when it began leaking a "critical" amount of propellant – instead burning up in Earth's atmosphere after launch. Roddenberry and Clarke, best known for authoring "2001: A Space Odyssey" that inspired Stanley Kubrick's film of the same name, are not the only well-known people whose remains have flown to outer space on a Celestis mission. Among the notable names to have been included are several actors from the original "Star Trek" series and NASA astronauts. Here's a list Celestis provided to the USA TODAY Network: James Doohan, who portrayed Scotty in the original "Star Trek" series (remember the phrase, "Beam me up, Scotty"?) Nichelle Nichols, the first Black woman featured in a major television series who portrayed Nyota Uhura in "Star Trek" DeForest Kelley, who portrayed Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy in the original "Star Trek" series Three American presidents, George Washington, Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy, whose DNA in the form of hair samples was included on past flights Several NASA astronauts, including L. Gordon Cooper, one of the original Mercury 7 astronauts, and NASA's first Australian-American Astronaut, Philip K. Chapman Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@ This article originally appeared on Florida Today: You can send a loved one's remains to space: Cosmic memorials, explained
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 Review
With its third season, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds boldly reaffirms itself as Paramount+'s flagship prequel—and one of the strongest entries in the franchise since Voyager. Premiering July 17, 2025, the series wastes no time recapturing the spirit of classic Trek while confidently charting its own course through the stars. This is a season that feels like a love letter to both longtime fans and newcomers, striking a careful balance between episodic adventure and serialized stakes. But above all, it holds fast to what has always made Star Trek special: its heart, its humour, and its unwavering hope for humanity. Strange New Worlds Season 3 picks up right where last season's cliffhanger left off, thrusting viewers straight back into the action. The Enterprise is still reeling from its encounter with the Gorn—a species that has been reimagined as one of the show's most terrifying and compelling recurring threats, far removed from their once-campy portrayal in The Original Series. The season premiere, 'Hegemony, Part II,' delivers on the tension that was left unresolved, launching the crew into a desperate fight for survival. The series isn't afraid to place its characters in genuine danger, and not everyone is guaranteed a safe return. That unpredictability sets the tone for a season that consistently keeps fans guessing—and on edge. What makes this season truly special is how it balances high-stakes drama with high-concept storytelling, all while deftly managing tone. Strange New Worlds has always excelled at pivoting effortlessly from intense space battles to quirky, character-driven comedy, and Season 3 continues that tradition with confidence. The writers appear to have taken a page from The Original Series, blending irreverent ideas with some of the strongest space drama seen on television in years. The result is a season that feels both fresh and familiar—like reuniting with old friends who still know how to surprise you, even if they occasionally break your heart. For me, as it has been from the start, it's the cast that remains Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' greatest asset. Anson Mount's Captain Pike continues to be one of the most compelling leads in modern Trek, blending warmth, authority, and vulnerability in a way that sets him apart from his predecessors. This season adds new layers to Pike's journey, particularly as he grapples with the aftermath of the Gorn conflict and the growing weight of command. Ethan Peck's Spock leaves a lasting impression, paying tribute to Leonard Nimoy's legacy while confidently carving out his own take on the iconic role. The rest of the bridge crew—Rebecca Romijn's Number One, Christina Chong's La'an, Jess Bush's Chapel, Celia Rose Gooding's Uhura, and Babs Olusanmokun's M'Benga—each get moments to shine throughout the season. But it's Melissa Navia's Ortegas who finally steps into the spotlight. After two seasons as a beloved background presence, she's given a well-earned season-long arc that explores her backstory and deepens her role on the Enterprise—and the payoff is more than worth the wait. While I had some concerns after the first trailer, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has thankfully maintained its distinct visual style—and remains a feast for the eyes. The production design is top-notch, with the Enterprise looking both sleeker and more lived-in than ever. The effects team has outdone themselves this season, crafting alien worlds and creatures that feel immersive and tangible. The blend of practical sets and digital backgrounds is, for the most part, seamless, and the attention to detail—from the uniforms to the bridge consoles—grounds everything in a believable reality. Thematically, the season is as complex and compelling as ever, with a healthy dose of classic Trek charm woven throughout the production. While the show continues to embrace familiar tropes—exploring strange new worlds, seeking out new life and new civilizations—it also isn't afraid to engage with timely, contemporary issues. Ethical dilemmas, questions of identity, and the burdens of leadership are all seamlessly integrated into the narrative. Its willingness to balance the silly with the serious remains one of Strange New Worlds' greatest strengths. Ultimately, from what I've seen of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3, it's shaping up to be another standout entry in the franchise. This is a season that feels both nostalgic and forward-thinking—a celebration of what makes Star Trek special, while boldly pushing its boundaries. With sharp writing, stellar performances, and top-tier production values, Strange New Worlds continues to prove why it's one of the best modern entries in the Trek universe. With its blend of action, humour, and heart, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 isn't just the best Trek in decades—it's a powerful reminder of why we keep looking to the stars. The Enterprise is back, and it's never been in better hands.
USA Today
2 days ago
- Business
- USA Today
This Texas company has sent remains of sent 'Star Trek' actors, others to space
For about three decades, a company based in Texas has billed itself as the first and most prominent business to offer what's referred to as "space burials." Since the dawn of humanity, we humans have found countless ways to honor our dead. From traditional burials to the scattering of one's ashes at sea, the methods for the deceased to be honored are as varied as the cultures that comprise our world. But what about those who prefer to be memorialized on a more cosmic scale? Well, it turns out they have that option, too. For about three decades, a company based in Texas has billed itself as the first and most prominent business to offer what's referred to as "space burials." Celestis, which recently conducted a mission from California, offers services that involve sending cremated remains or human DNA beyond Earth's atmosphere. Often, familiar faces and well-known public figures − from "Star Trek" cast members to U.S. presidents − have had their remains flown to orbit as part of a celestial burial or memorial. Many of Celestis' memorial spaceflights have launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, and Southern California. Here's what to know about Celestis and its memorial spaceflights. What is Celestis? Houston, Texas, company takes human remains to space Celestis is a company based in Houston, Texas, specializing in transporting human remains to space for cosmic memorials. Capsules containing DNA and human remains are included as payloads on spacecraft launched into orbit from all over the world by other companies, including SpaceX and the United Launch Alliance. Celestis' services allow for families to pay for cremated remains in capsules or DNA to be launched into space, where they can either return intact or remain until they reenter Earth's atmosphere, "harmlessly vaporizing like a shooting star in final tribute," the company says on its website. In another offering, the company facilitates the transportation of memorial capsules to interplanetary space well beyond the moon. What other companies offer 'space burials'? Elysium Space, based in San Francisco, California, also offers memorial spaceflights. The company has conducted just three "space burial" missions since 2015, including from Hawaii, California and Florida, according to its website. Celestis sent memorial capsules on a SpaceX rocket launch in California Celestis' most recent payload of memorial capsules was included in a SpaceX rideshare mission known as Transporter 14. The mission got off the ground Monday, June 23, from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. A total of 166 individual Celestis memorial capsules were on board a Nyx spacecraft manufactured by Europe-based The Exploration Company (TEC,) which hitched a ride on SpaceX's famous Falcon 9 rocket. The payload of memorial capsules was part of about 70 total payloads, including small satellites, that the Falcon 9 helped to deliver for paying customers to a sun-synchronous orbit, meaning they matched Earth's rotation around the sun. The launch was meant to be Celestis' first-ever to return from an altitude high enough to be considered Earth's orbit. The Nyx module reached low-Earth orbit, where it traveled for three hours at about 17,000 miles per hour and completed two full orbits around Earth. But instead of safely reentering Earth's atmosphere to land in the Pacific Ocean as planned, the Nyx spacecraft's parachute failed and it crashed into the sea, losing the capsules. How much does a Celestis flight cost? If you want to send your deceased loved one on a final cosmic journey, the cost to do so isn't that much different from the price of the average typical funeral or burial service. The cheapest option of sending memorial capsules to space and back, known as "Earth rise," starts at $3,495. The price to send a loved one's remains all the way up to orbit starts at $4,995. After that, though, the costs for Celestis' services start to climb. Both the company's lunar burial and interplanetary services start at $12,995, according to its website. How many memorial flights or cosmic memorials has Celestis conducted? The recent mission was Celestis' 25th overall since it was founded in 1994. The company's maiden voyage took place in April 1997, when a Pegasus rocket carrying the remains of 24 people, including "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry, launched over the Spanish Canary Islands. The flight capsules on board a Celestis spacecraft then reentered Earth's atmosphere about a month later. Celestis' first and only successful lunar burial mission to date then occurred a year later in January 1998 from what was then still called the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Conducted at NASA's request, the mission included a capsule on board the agency's Lunar Prospector containing the ashes of geologist Eugene Shoemaker. When is the next Celestis memorial flight? Celestis has no more missions planned for 2025, according to its website. The next flight, planned for early 2026, appears to be an orbital mission launching from Cape Canaveral Space Force Base in Florida. Reservations are open until Aug. 1, 2025. Celestis previously sought to bring human remains to the moon Celestis previously made headlines in January 2024 when its plans to land human remains on the moon's surface attracted some controversy. The plan was for the remains and DNA of more than 70 deceased people to be included on a lunar lander bound for the moon. That included – once again – remains of Roddenberry, as well as science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke. Elysium Space also contracted to have cremated human remains and DNA of clients placed aboard the lunar lander. But Navajo Nation, the largest tribe of Native Americans in the United States, vehemently opposed the lunar burial, penning a letter decrying the plans as "a profound desecration." Ultimately, though, the remains never made it to the moon's surface anyway. Pittsburgh-based aerospace company Astrobotic's Peregrine lander fell short of its destination when it began leaking a "critical" amount of propellant – instead burning up in Earth's atmosphere after launch. Who are some famous people whose remains have flown to orbit? "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry and Arthur C. Clarke, best known for authoring "2001: A Space Odyssey" that inspired Stanley Kubrick's film of the same name, are not the only well-known people whose remains have flown to outer space on a Celestis mission. Among the notable names to have been included are several actors from the original "Star Trek" series and NASA astronauts. Here's a list Celestis provided to the USA TODAY Network: Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@
