A STAR Trek tribute mission will launch on the first flight of the Vulcan Centaur rocket, the ULA announced this week.
The Vulcan (also the name of an alien species in Star Trek) is the newest rocket from the United Launch Alliance (or ULA).
The mission is being carried out by ULA in partnership with Celestis, a company that provides space memorial services.
This first Vulcan mission is called “Enterprise”, after the famous Trek starships.
The rocket will also carry 150 capsules containing the ashes (or DNA) of Trek or space fans, including series creator Gene Roddenberry.
“We are very happy to be fulfilling, with this mission, a promise that I made to [actor] Majel Barrett Roddenberry in 1997 that one day we would fly with her and her husband/Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry together on a commemorative deep space flight,” said Charles Chafer, CEO and co-founder of Celestis, in a statement.
Celestis launched Gene Roddenberry’s ashes into space earlier on an Orbital Sciences rocket in 1997.
ULA President and CEO Tory Bruno called the mission a “fitting tribute to the Roddenberry family and Star Trek fans for being a part of the Vulcan’s maiden flight.”
However, the Vulcan isn’t just heading into space to release “Star Trek” content, it’s also carrying Astrobotic’s Peregrine lunar lander.
The rocket will first deploy Peregine on a trajectory to the moon and then go into deep space with the commemorative payload.
Once in deep space, Vulcan is expected to enter a stable orbit around the sun.
The rocket is expected to launch sometime in the second half of 2022, however the exact timeline is unclear at this time.
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