The late Nichelle Nichols, who played Lieutenant Uhura in Star Trek: The Original Series, will reportedly have her ashes sent into space.
According to TMZ, the actor's ashes will be added to the United Launch Alliance's Vulcan Centaur rocket which is set to launch for the moon in December 2022. The rocket will also carry the remains of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, as well as James Doohan, who played Scotty in The Original Series, and Majel Barrett Roddenberry, who played Nurse Chapel.
"I'm sure she would have much preferred to go on the shuttle, but this was a pretty close second," Nichols' son, Kyle Johnson, told TMZ. The Vulcan Centaur's mission, apart from carrying Nichols' ashes, will be to deliver a robotic lunar leader that will scout for future Artemis flights to the moon for NASA.
Nichols Makes Her Final Voyage
Nichols died in July at the age of 89. Her death was confirmed by her son, Kyle Johnson, who wrote on Instagram, "Last night, my mother, Nichelle Nichols, succumbed to natural causes and passed away," under a photo of Nichols' star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Johnson added, "Her light, however, like the ancient galaxies now being seen for the first time, will remain with us and future generations to enjoy, learn from, and draw inspiration."
Nichols' Star Trek co-stars expressed their sadness at the news. George Takei, who starred in The Original Series alongside Nichols as Hikaru Sulu, wrote on Twitter: "Today, my heart is heavy, my eyes shining like the stars you now rest among, my dearest friend." William Shatner, who played James T. Kirk in the series, also mourned Nichols' death, writing, "She was a beautiful woman & played an admirable character that did so much for redefining social issues both here in the US & throughout the world. I will certainly miss her."
Wonder Woman's Lynda Carter noted that Nichols helped promote gender equality in Hollywood, explaining that she "showed us the extraordinary power of Black women and paved the way for a better future for all women in media," referring to Nichols starring as an astronaut in the early 1960s, which was a groundbreaking role for the time.
Nichols starred as Lieutenant Nyota Uhura for all three seasons of Star Trek: The Original Series, which first aired in 1966. The role turned her into a cultural icon as one of the first black women to star in a major television series. Nichols would reprise the role in a number of spin-offs, including Star Trek: The Animated Series, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Star Trek III: The Search for Spok, and more.
After Star Trek was canceled, Nichols founded Women In Motion, Inc. in 1977, which campaigned to bring diversity to NASA and helped in recruiting thousands of women and people of color to the space agency. A documentary about Nichols' efforts titled Woman in Motion: Nichelle Nichols, Star Trek and the Remaking of NASA was released in 2021.
Source: TMZ