The famous Roddenberry family is on its way to the final frontier.
The DNA of 'Star Trek' creator Gene Roddenberry and his wife, Majel Barrett-Roddenberryas well as that of their son Rod, will be launched on January 8 during the debut launch of United Launch Alliance's Vulcan Centaur rocket.
The main purpose of the flight is to send the private Peregrine lunar lander to Earth's nearest neighbor and show that Vulcan Centaur is ready for prime time. But Celestis, a Houston-based space company, also booked a spot on the rocket, for a mission it calls Enterprise Flight.
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In addition to preserved DNA samples from Rod and his late parents, the memorial flight also includes the cremated remains, memory files and DNA capsules of "Star Trek" icons Nichelle "Uhura" Nichols, James "Scotty" Doohan and DeForest "Bones" Kelley .
Also on display on January 8 is the DNA of George Washington, Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy, Academy Award-winning special effects legend Douglas Trumbull ("2001: A Space Odyssey", "Close Encounters of the Third Kind") , and others. Genetic material from ULA CEO Tory Bruno and his wife Rebecca will also be on board. These samples will be taken into deep space, beyond the Earth-moon system.
Space.com spoke with Rod Roddenberry - who oversees Roddenberry Entertainment and serves as executive producer on 'Star Trek: Discovery,' 'Star Trek: Picard,' 'Star Trek: Lower Decks,' 'Star Trek: Prodigy' and ' Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" - during the height of the holiday rush. He talked about how his ticket to the stars was punched, what his famous "Star Trek" parents would have thought of this exotic adventure, and what the Christmas season was like in the Roddenberry household when Rod was growing up in sunny Los Angeles.
Space.com: "Star Wars" is often associated with summer fun and "Star Trek" with Christmas, not only because many "Star Trek" films are released during the holidays, but also because of the franchise's forward-looking focus and reflective themes. Have you ever thought about the link with Christmas, and how do you view the two science fiction titans?Roddenberry rod: I love it when I hear something new about 'Star Trek', and based on that I can now make up my own reasons. There's giving and family and closeness and, hopefully, a little more intellect around Christmas. Summer is more action and games, and that is 'Star Wars'. It's a great thought. I haven't spent much time with it, but I like it.
Space.com: How did you and your parents make the decision to add your DNA to the Celestis Enterprise Flight?Roddenberry: This all started in the 90's with my mother and Charles Chafer from Celestis. He promised her he would fly up my father's ashes, and it took a while, but he did it. Then he promised he would fly them both together, and that took many, many years.
As we know, it's not easy to get space on these rockets going out, especially beyond our orbit. So it's incredible, and it's very symbolic. Who else should be shot into space than the people who created and contributed to Star Trek? The tagline is: "Where no one has gone before." Well, Gene Roddenberry, his essence, Majel Roddenberry, and my DNA will truly go, along with others, where no one has gone before.
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Roddenberry: It was simple. It's basically a cotton swab, a test tube, and a chemical that helps preserve your DNA. You simply go around the inner part of your mouth, insert it into the tube, seal it, put it in the self-addressed envelope and you're done. They do the science and it becomes DNA.
Space.com: Will you be attending the live launch on January 8 at Kennedy Space CenterSpace.com: What would Mom and Dad think of a commemorative Enterprise Flight? ?Roddenberry: It is 100% my intention to do this. That's all but I can guarantee I'll be there.
Space.com. There's a synchronicity with this upcoming Celestis mission, which is happening not only as "Star Trek" rises in popularity, but also as the new space economy thrives alongside NASA missions. ArtemisSpace.com: What has been the most rewarding aspect of seeing "Star Trek" flourish over the past five years? dream of going back to the moon in 2024/25. Why is this the ideal time for the Enterprise flight?Roddenberry: It's hard to speak for them, but I can make some assumptions that I think are fairly accurate. My father was ahead of his time, and while I don't know if he specifically thought this was exactly what would happen, I don't think he would be at all surprised if cremations or remains were sent into space in a symbolic gesture. I feel like it's symbolic to be placed in the ground. Being cremated is symbolic.
Whatever you do with your remains when you are gone, in my opinion, is symbolic and has meaning for the person and their family. So I think they would both find this very appropriate for their remains. Who else should live in the cosmos? Even if it is symbolic. They're Majel and Gene Roddenberry.
Roddenberry: It is a very opportune time for this to happen. "Star Trek" is experiencing a rebirth and a renaissance. I'm not sure how long it will last. I hope indefinitely, of course. They have done a great job of realizing that there are multiple audiences and that there are ways to reach a larger audience and a younger demographic. They learn something from everything that doesn't work. This is the perfect time for the creator of "Star Trek" to be launched into space, as well as for my mother and all the other people who will be on board and contributed to "Star Trek" or who are important in our human history . evolution.
Roddenberry: It's a new generation of people working on "Star Trek." Many of them grew up with "Star Trek" and are fans in their own right. So what's different from the '80s and '90s generation is that a lot of those people were studio personnel working in the entertainment industry. Sure, some of them may have enjoyed and appreciated "The Original Series," but many of them worked in those positions because they were just doing their jobs.
This new era of people contributing to the show are passionate about it. They try to find out what makes "Star Trek" more than just a science fiction TV show. I think the caliber of people working on "Star Trek" today is more favorable than in previous years because they care. And I'm not saying that no one cared before. It's just that a lot of them get it and really want it to be great - not to get a paycheck, but because 'Star Trek' has to be great.
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Roddenberry: I'm really excited to see more 'Prodigy', which is now coming to Netflix. I thought that was an incredibly well done show, not only for children but also for adults. It was one of the most real "Star Trek" in terms of what makes "Star Trek" different from other science fiction. It had a lot to do with ethics and morality and what it means to be part of something better, like Starfleet.
I'm very myopic on 'Star Trek'. If it doesn't make you consider a different point of view, or if it doesn't give you a unique perspective that you hadn't thought of, or if it makes you question your own view of things, then I don't think it's does its job. In any case, it should be entertaining. But if it's just entertainment, then that's not true "Star Trek." "Star Trek" has to challenge you on some level. If you don't think after watching an episode of "Star Trek," it's not my "Star Trek."
Roddenberry: My memories around Christmas are incredibly fond because my mother was a Christmas fanatic. We had a huge 17 feet [5.2 meters] Christmas tree in our living room. She lit up the whole house. When Christmas came, it felt like Christmas.
I grew up, believe it or not, on "Star Wars," "GI Joe" and "Transformers." I haven't collected a lot of "Star Wars" stuff, but I remember getting the Millennium Falcon a year ago, and I wish I still had it today because that thing is a pretty treasured piece.
