Gloria Knowlan never dreamt of boldly going where no one had gone before and was content to leave the journey to the 害羞草研究所淪tar Trek害羞草研究所� actors she came to love, but 12 years after her death, her family has ensured the final frontier will be her ultimate resting place.
It seemed a fitting tribute for the Vancouver mother of eight, whose love of Trek prompted her to collect replica starships and deck out her Christmas tree each year with a homemade alien spacecraft known as the Borg cube, complete with working lights.
A small quantity of Knowlan害羞草研究所檚 ashes will be among approximately 250 capsules of human remains, DNA samples and other memorials set to be launched into space later this month aboard a rocket. Launch organizers are hoping it will wind up approximately 330 million kilometres from Earth, roughly passed the orbit of Mars.
The flight will see Knowlan, who was 86 at the time of her death, joining some of her favourite stars. The rocket is also set to carry remains or DNA samples of 害羞草研究所淪tar Trek害羞草研究所� creator Gene Roddenberry, his wife Majel Barrett Roddenberry and Original Series stars Nichelle Nichols, DeForest Kelley and fellow Canadian James Doohan.
Rod Knowlan said he thinks his mom would be 害羞草研究所渏ust tickled害羞草研究所� by the idea that a part of her remains were going to space alongside some of the people she saw on TV.
He said after his father died in 2002 his mother dove headlong into things she loved, including the show.
害羞草研究所淪he was a fan of 害羞草研究所楽tar Trek,害羞草研究所� of the concept, from the outset,害羞草研究所� he said in a telephone interview. 害羞草研究所淪he was a fan of Gene Roddenberry害羞草研究所檚 and she loved whatever work that he did.害羞草研究所�
Gloria Knowlan害羞草研究所檚 final journey will take place through American company Celestis Inc., which has been offering what it calls 害羞草研究所渕emorial space flights害羞草研究所� for more than two decades.
For prices ranging from a few thousand dollars up to $13,000, the company will take small capsules of ashes to space and either return them, drop them in Earth害羞草研究所檚 orbit or even take them to the moon as a memorial for lost loved ones.
Co-founder and CEO Charles Chafer said the rocket carrying Knowlan害羞草研究所檚 remains, set to take off from Cape Canaveral, Fla. on Jan. 8, will mark the first time the company has offered a trip that will go into 害羞草研究所渄eep space害羞草研究所� meaning the capsules won害羞草研究所檛 eventually fall to Earth. The journey has been dubbed the enterprise flight, he added.
害羞草研究所淚 believe it害羞草研究所檚 an awful lot like why people choose to be scattered at sea. There害羞草研究所檚 a calling there. There害羞草研究所檚 something about the sea that either interests them or attracts them as a location for a memorial service,害羞草研究所� Chafer said.
害羞草研究所淲e are more and more in this country, and in other countries, focusing less and less on the traditional and more and more on the personal when it comes to, 害羞草研究所榟ow do I want my life celebrated?害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟
The capsules will be taken into space by the commercially-owned, and aptly named, Vulcan rocket.
Chafer said the main purpose of the trip is for the rocket to test its capabilities to become the first commercial spacecraft to land on the moon, and his company害羞草研究所檚 cargo is being brought along to serve a 害羞草研究所渟econdary害羞草研究所� purpose.
He said some capsules onboard are being left at the moon, while those that are part of the enterprise trip will travel further afield.
He said they害羞草研究所檒l travel for 害羞草研究所渁t least a few months害羞草研究所� before arriving at their final orbit location.
Ashes belonging to many of the 害羞草研究所淪tar Trek害羞草研究所� stars have already been part of earlier Celestis flights, but Chafer said he promised Majel Barrett Roddenberry in 1996 that he would eventually take some of the couple害羞草研究所檚 ashes and fly them on a 害羞草研究所渇orever mission.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淎nd of course, being 28 years old, and not having any better idea than 害羞草研究所業 think we can do it,害羞草研究所� I said yes.害羞草研究所�
Chafer said trips like the ones Celestis offer only became possible recently thanks to evolving technology, adding family members and friends of the other Trek stars quickly bought into the idea.
Ashes belonging to Doohan, best known as chief engineer Montgomery 害羞草研究所淪cotty害羞草研究所� Scott, have gone to space aboard previous Celestis flights as well as to the International Space Station.
His widow, Wende Doohan, said being in space is something he always wanted.
害羞草研究所淚f anybody had offered him a seat on the space shuttle, he would have jumped at it. But he was too old to somehow finagle a seat on one of those things that went into space,害羞草研究所� she said.
Wende Doohan said her husband would have enjoyed the fact that this trip includes fans like Knowlan.
害羞草研究所淗e loved his fans. He loved hearing their stories. He enjoyed chatting with them,害羞草研究所� she said.
She said she decided to include a sample of her DNA on the flight and plans to be at the launch in person.
She said sending her husband害羞草研究所檚 ashes into deep space and knowing that they will never return makes this experience feel different than previous flights.
害羞草研究所淭o me, that kind of illustrates the poignancy of Star Trek, you know? Going where no man has gone before,害羞草研究所� she said.
害羞草研究所淎nd it just kind of feels like it害羞草研究所檚 emulating that journey, in a way.害羞草研究所�
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