On this day in space! Oct. 22, 1992: Ashes of 'Star Trek' creator Gene Roddenberry launch into space on NASA shuttle
On October 22, 1992, NASA's space shuttle Columbia launched on mission STS-52 carrying the ashes of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry. Shuttle commander James Wetherbee carried a small container of the cremains among his personal items.
On October 22, 1992, NASA's space shuttle Columbia launched on mission STS-52 carrying the ashes of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry. Shuttle commander James Wetherbee carried a small container of the cremains among his personal items. Majel Barrett, Roddenberry's widow, made the request so her late husband could achieve his lifelong dream of spaceflight.
NASA and the family kept the memorial flight secret until 1994. Wetherbee stated he was honored to fulfill the request. The secret mission marked the world's first space burial. It paved the way for the space memorial company Celestis, which began launching human cremains on rockets in 1997. Additional ashes of Roddenberry, Barrett, and actor James Doohan later flew on Celestis missions.
Celestis has since launched cremains on orbital and suborbital flights using SpaceX Falcon 9 and other rockets. The company also sent astronomer Eugene Shoemaker's ashes to the moon in 1999 and launched a deep-space mission in 2023.
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Original publication: 23 October 2026 02:38
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