Great Scotty! The ashes of Star Trek’s James Doohan were smuggled onto the International Space Station

The International Space Station (left) and James Doohan as Montgomery Scott in Star Trek (right)

JANUARY 13, 2021 - In case you missed it: it seems that Chris Doohan, son of Star Trek actor James Doohan, rang in the new year by revealing a 12 year old secret. His father’s ashes are in space, safely tucked away on the International Space Station. News of the secret was first published by The Times of London in late December, just in time for 2021.

Back in 2008, entrepreneur and multimillionaire Richard Garriott was preparing for a 12-day mission as one of the first private citizens to go into space, when he was contacted by Chris Doohan. Doohan proposed a plan that would give his father a chance to go into space, just like he had always wanted. "My dad had three passions: space, science and trains,” Doohan told The Times, adding, “He always wanted to go into space."

Three cards were printed with James Doohan’s image. Each card was sprinkled with some of the late actor’s ashes and laminated to seal the ash inside. Garriott admitted to smuggling the ashes aboard the space station, saying, “Everything that officially goes on board is logged, inspected and bagged — there’s a process, but there was no time to put it through that process.” According to Garriott, each card made it up to the space station, but one of them never returned to Earth. For more than a decade, that card (and Doohan’s ashes) have rested under a floor panel of the Columbus module on board the I.S.S. To Garriott’s knowledge, nobody has discovered the card and it remains there to this day.

“I never knew when or if I would be able to ever say anything,” Doohan said. “I visit fan conventions all around the world, for years now, and I have been holding on to this secret for 12 years. It was hard not sharing this with fans. I now have a great sense of relief that I can talk about this and share this amazing story as I continue my father's legacy.”

Doohan posted on Twitter, linking a video of Garriott on the space station in 2008. In the video, Garriott is seen holding one of the cards and confirming the success of their clandestine mission. In the tweet, Doohan said, “Astronaut @RichardGarriott embarked on a final mission for my dad. [I’m] glad to share this after 12 years of secrecy. Look up at the sky, and know that Scotty is in space.”

Astronaut @RichardGarriott embarked on a final mission for my dad. Glad to share this after 12 years of secrecy. Look up at the sky, and know that Scotty is in space. 🌌🚀 #StarTrek #ISS https://t.co/y1SrzTrRhn

— Chris Doohan (@ChrisDoohan) December 29, 2020