Late Star Trek star DeForest Kelley will be reunited in death with many of his fellow franchise legends for one last voyage through outer space. Recently, it had been reported that the cremated ashes of several Star Trek legends would be sent to space onboard United Launch Alliance’s “Vulcan” rocket. It was announced on this year’s Star Trek Day, commemorating the 56th anniversary of the original show’s premiere episode, that Kelley’s DNA would be added to the ashes of his colleagues, making the occasion even more special.
“No mission to deep space would be complete without a ship’s doctor,” Celestis co-founder Charles M. Chafer said.
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When Kelley died after a battle with stomach cancer in 1999, his ashes were spread into the Pacific Ocean. However, per TMZ, it was discovered that a close friend and caregiver of Kelley’s named Kris Smith had been holding onto a lock of the late actor’s hair. When Smith learned about what Celestis was doing with the ashes of other Star Trek stars, she donated Kelley’s hair so his final remains could join his old friends for one last “journey into interstellar space.”
“I think De would have loved to ‘go hopping galaxies’ again with cast and crew mates,” Smith is quoted as saying.
The space flight will also include the ashes of Kelley’s Star Trek co-stars Nichelle Nichols (Uhura) and James Doohan (Scotty); Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry; Roddenberry’s wife and Star Trek actor Majel Barrett-Roddenberry; and Star Trek: The Motion Picture VFX artist Douglas Trumbull.
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DeForest Kelley Will Have One Last Space Voyage
Paramount Pictures
“We’re very pleased to be fulfilling, with this mission, a promise I made to Majel Barrett Roddenberry in 1997 that one day we would fly her and husband Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry together on a deep space memorial spaceflight,” Chafer said when the flight was announced. “The mission is named Enterprise in tribute to them – and also fellow mission participant and beloved actor, James ‘Scotty’ Doohan – as well as the many Star Trek fans who are joining them on this, the 20th Celestis Memorial Spaceflight. We look forward to launching this historic mission on a rocket named Vulcan.”
ULA CEO and President Tony Bruno added, “We are honored that Celestis has selected ULA to launch this important mission. What a fitting tribute to the Roddenberry family and the Star Trek fans to be a part of the maiden flight of Vulcan, our next-generation rocket.”
While he appeared in many Westerns and a variety of other movies and TV shows, DeForest Kelley was perhaps best known for playing Dr. Leonard McCoy, aka Bones, in the original Star Trek along with its follow-up movie series. He was given a Hollywood Walk of Fame star in 1991.
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