Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Late 'Star Trek' Star Nichelle Nichols' Ashes To Be Launched Into Space In Fitting Final Tribute

Late 'Star Trek' Star Nichelle Nichols' Ashes To Be Launched Into Space In Fitting Final Tribute
Justin Baker/FilmMagic/Getty Images

Actor Nichelle Nichols passed away in July after a long career in Hollywood.

She broke racial boundaries with her role as Lieutenant Nyota Uhura on Star Trek—one of the first Black female lead characters in a television series and the first in a sci-fi series.


Now she'll be immortalized forever in "the final frontier." A portion of her ashes and a sample of her DNA will be launched into space.

Private spaceflight company Celestis International announced Friday they will fly Nichols' remains some 186 million miles into space aboard a rocket called Vulcan, in reference to another Star Trek character, in a fitting final tribute to a trailblazer.

In a statement announcing the space burial, Celestis CEO Charles M. Chafer wrote:

“We are truly honored to add a legendary actress, activist, and educator to the Enterprise Flight manifest."
"Now our Enterprise Flight will have on board the person who most completely embodied the vision of Star Trek as a diverse, inclusive, and exploring universe.”

Enterprise Flight will also include cremains of other Star Trek legends including creator Gene Roddenberry and his wife Majel Barrett Roddenberry, James Doohan and visual effects master Douglas Trumbull.

Chafer noted Nichols' historic role as Lieutenant Uhura.

“Her role on Star Trek was as significant as it was legendary."
"Ms. Nichols was the first Black woman in a leading role in a network television series to portray a character that was not shackled by the stereotypes of Hollywood’s past.”

A kiss shared between Nichols' character and William Shatner's character in 1968 was also the first interracial onscreen kiss. The first Black woman to fly to space in 1992—Dr. Mae Jemison—cited Nichols as an inspiration for her career as an astronaut.

The celestial burial was approved by Nichols' son Kyle Johnson, who thought it would be an “appropriate memorial for her" given her best known acting role.

Nichols will be symbolically joined in space by her son who will submit his own DNA to allow him to undertake the journey with his mother.

Johnson said:

“My only regret is that I cannot share this eternal tribute standing beside my mother at the launch.”
"I know she would be profoundly honored for this unique experience and enthusiastically encourage ALL of her FANS to join us vicariously by contributing your thoughts, affections, memories, [Nichelle Nichols] inspired successes, dreams, and aspirations via email to be launched with her on this flight!”

The Enterprise Flight is slated to travel between 150 million to 300 million kilometers—about 93,000,000 to 186,000,000 miles—beyond the Earth-Moon system into interplanetary space.

Johnson told The Los Angeles Times:

"It's where she belongs."

On Twitter, fans absolutely loved the tribute.








In addition to her acting career, Nichols also worked for NASA in the 1970s to help recruit more women and people of color into the organization.

She was instrumental in recruiting the first United States' woman astronaut Sally Ride and the first Black NASA chief Charlie Bolden.

More from Entertainment/tv-and-movies

Teachers Share The Questions Students Asked In Class That Broke Their Hearts

Being a teacher is a calling.

It is not for the meek or weak of heart.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Emily Compagno
Fox News

Fox Host Slams Dem For Dropping An F-Bomb After Praising Trump For The Same Thing Just Minutes Earlier

Fox News host Emily Compagno was criticized after she praised Donald Trump's use of the "f-bomb" earlier this week before condemning Texas Democratic Representative Jasmine Crockett's use of the same word—on the same episode of her show, no less.

Trump made headlines this week after admonishing Israel and Iran for violating a ceasefire agreement he'd announced on Truth Social. Although he claimed the ceasefire had been "agreed upon," Iran fired at least six missile barrages at Israel after it was supposed to take effect.

Keep ReadingShow less
Ken Jennings; Emily Croke
@Jeopardy/Instagram

Champ's Wild Final Jeopardy Connection

In a dramatic conclusion on last Monday’s Jeopardy!, a contestant revealed a surprising relationship to the final clue's answer. Hailing from Denver, Emily Croke made it to the final write-in portion of the game show with $12,200 in earnings.

In the category of “Collections,” host Ken Jennings read the clue:

Keep ReadingShow less
State Department logo illustration
Thomas Fuller/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

State Department Slammed After Requiring Visa Applicants To Make All Social Media Posts Public For Vetting

The State Department is facing harsh criticism after it announced that anyone applying for an F, M, or J nonimmigrant visa will need to disclose all social media profiles from the last five years, requiring that all applicants set their posts to public so they can be properly vetted by its agents.

The agency said the new rules are part of a new screening process aimed at identifying individuals who may pose a threat to U.S. national security. According to the department, failure to comply could result in a denial, and consular officers have been instructed to flag signs of “hostility” toward the U.S.—though the criteria for such determinations remain vague.

Keep ReadingShow less
The Tiny Chef Show being canceled
@thetinychefshow/TikTok

Heartbreaking Animated Video Announcing Emmy-Winning Show's Cancellation Has The Internet Sobbing

Whether or not you've heard of the show, Nickelodeon's The Tiny Chef Show has been turning heads. Not only is it a show that children love, but it's an Emmy Award winner.

Despite all of this adorable, pea-sized chef's success, and a Minion-like voice to boot, the show appears to be canceled.

Keep ReadingShow less