Kate Mulgrew, Star Trek: Voyager’s Captain Kathryn Janeway, has appeared in a video promotion for space science non-profit The Planetary Society. In the video, which is essentially a drive for the public to consider membership, Mulgrew discusses how her role as Janeway on Star Trek spurred her interest in space science.

“I came to my love of space in a sort of oblique way,” Mulgrew said, “because I wouldn’t say that I had a great hankering to learn about space until I did Star Trek: Voyager.”

For Mulgrew, it was understanding Janeway’s character that opened up the world of space science to her. She said of her role, “I was forced to understand Kathryn Janeway’s love and knowledge, passion for space [...] And now, because it’s rooted in a bit of knowledge, it’s all the more compelling to me.”

And what about the future? Mulgrew believes that eventually, not only will space travel be a norm, but ordinary people will understand the physics of space. And she counts herself lucky to have been even a small part of that eventual future. “I think I’m a very lucky woman to have played a scientist who got lost in the Delta quadrant and who secretly didn’t mind it one bit,” she said. “Because within that mystery are profound secrets that apply to all of us, all species, all dreams, all though, and all philosophy.”

To find out more about The Planetary Society and its mission of empowering the world’s citizens to advance space science and exploration, visit planetary.org.