Gene And Majel Roddenberry Ashes Into Space, The ashes of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry and his actress wife Majel Barrett Roddenberry are to be launched into space.
Some of Gene Roddenberry's remains were aboard the 1997 maiden flight of Celestis Inc, which specialises in space journeys.
His wife, who was the only actor to take part in all five Star Trek TV series, died of leukaemia on December 18, 2008.
Roddenberry died from cardiopulmonary arrest, on October 24, 1991. Star Trek: The Next Generation aired after his death, a two-part episode of season five, called "Unification", which featured a dedication to Roddenberry. In 1992, a portion of Roddenberry's ashes flew and returned to earth on the Space Shuttle Columbia mission STS-52. On April 21, 1997, a Celestis spacecraft — carrying portions of the cremated remains of Roddenberry, of Timothy Leary and of 22 other individuals — was launched into Earth orbit aboard a Pegasus XL rocket from near the Canary Islands. On May 20, 2002, the spacecraft's orbit deteriorated and it disintegrated in the atmosphere. Another flight to launch more of his ashes into deep space along with those of Majel (Barrett) Roddenberry, his widow who died in 2008, is planned for launch in 2014.
Some of Gene Roddenberry's remains were aboard the 1997 maiden flight of Celestis Inc, which specialises in space journeys.
His wife, who was the only actor to take part in all five Star Trek TV series, died of leukaemia on December 18, 2008.
Roddenberry died from cardiopulmonary arrest, on October 24, 1991. Star Trek: The Next Generation aired after his death, a two-part episode of season five, called "Unification", which featured a dedication to Roddenberry. In 1992, a portion of Roddenberry's ashes flew and returned to earth on the Space Shuttle Columbia mission STS-52. On April 21, 1997, a Celestis spacecraft — carrying portions of the cremated remains of Roddenberry, of Timothy Leary and of 22 other individuals — was launched into Earth orbit aboard a Pegasus XL rocket from near the Canary Islands. On May 20, 2002, the spacecraft's orbit deteriorated and it disintegrated in the atmosphere. Another flight to launch more of his ashes into deep space along with those of Majel (Barrett) Roddenberry, his widow who died in 2008, is planned for launch in 2014.
