Scotty was overjoyed! Star Trek actor James Doohan’s ashes were smuggled aboard the International Space Station after his death in 2005
- Richard Garriott, 59, smuggled James Doohan’s ashes to the ISS in 2008
- Doohan played Montgomery Scott and inspired the phrase “Beam me up, Scotty”
- His remains traveled more than 1.7 billion miles through space in secret
It was revealed that James Doohan from Star Trek had his ashes smuggled into the International Space Station.
Doohan, who played Montgomery ‘Scotty’ Scott, asked for his ashes to be transported into space when he died at age 85 in 2005.
The Canadian’s remains have traveled more than 1.7 billion miles in orbit through space in secret.
Businessman Richard Garriott, 59, smuggled Doohan’s ashes to the ISS in 2008 during a 12-day mission as a private astronaut.
It was revealed that James Doohan from Star Trek (pictured) had his ashes smuggled into the International Space Station.
A photo of Mr. Doohan with some of his laminated ash was hidden under the floor covering of the space station’s Columbus module
He was contacted by Doohan’s son Chris, 61, days before launching the ISS in a Russian Soyuz capsule for a $ 30 million trip mediated by Space Adventures, a company he founded.
Garriott agreed to collect the ashes after Doohan’s wish for his ashes to be sent was destroyed in 2007 and 2008.
He took a card with a picture of Mr. Doohan and some of his ashes rolled and tucked under the floor liner of the Columbus module of the space station.
Garriott told The Times: ‘It was completely clandestine.
Businessman Richard Garriott (pictured before his trip), 59, smuggled Mr. Doohan’s ashes to the ISS in 2008 during a 12-day mission as a private astronaut
“His family was satisfied with the ashes, but was disappointed that we didn’t speak about it publicly.
– Now enough time has passed for us to. James Doohan had his resting place among the stars. ‘
Mr. Doohan inspired the legendary catchphrase ‘Beam me up, Scotty’, although it was never really spoken on the popular television show.
Their ashes were sent into space in 2007 and were dropped from near Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, before returning to Earth and getting lost.
Garriott was launched on the ISS in a Russian Soyuz capsule (photo) for a $ 30 million trip booked by Space Adventures, a company he founded
They were sent with the remains of about 200 other people, including astronaut Gordon Cooper, who went into space for the first time in 1963. Cooper died in 2004 at the age of 77.
“It was great, it was fun and we want to go again,” said Doohan’s widow, Wende, who hit the launch button with Cooper’s widow, Susan, at the time.
The flight was organized by Space Services Inc., based in Houston. The company charges $ 495 (£ 248) to send a portion of a person’s ashes to suborbital space.
During a 15-minute flight, the rocket split into two parts and returned to Earth by parachute with the capsules holding the remains. The maximum height reached was 384,000 feet or 72 miles.
Mr. Doohan (photographed with William Shatner, who played Captain James Kirk on the show) inspired the legendary catchphrase ‘Beam me up, Scotty’, although it was never really spoken on Star Trek
Doohan’s ashes were sent into space in 2007 and were launched from near Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, before returning to Earth and getting lost
The capsules containing the ashes were to be recovered, mounted on plates and returned to relatives, but were lost on the side of a mountain.
In 1997, the company threw the remains of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry into space.
Crystal Warren saw the remains of her space enthusiast brother-in-law take flight.
‘He’s going home. He’s there now. He wanted to be there forever, ‘said Warren.