The Remains of Two More Star Trek Luminaries Are Headed to Space
OCTOBER 28, 2022 - Earlier this year, we brought you the news that the remains of Nichelle Nichols were headed into space on a memorial flight, along with those of Gene and Majel Barrett-Roddenberry, James Doohan, and Douglas Trumbull. Since then, DeForest Kelley’s remains have joined the lineup and this week, we learned that the remains of two more luminaries will also be blasting off.
Robert Justman, who fans will remember as one of Star Trek’s pioneers, and Academy Award-nominated modelmaker Greg Jein, who died in May, will be on the Celestis’ upcoming memorial flight, dubbed the “Enterprise Flight.”
DSTN spoke to Robert Justman’s son, Jonathan, about the flight. “I think he would be really, really honored and really excited and really happy about it,” he said. “This is such a wonderful thing that Celestis is doing. It’s a perfect tribute to my dad and the show.”
We also spoke to Greg Jein’s dear friend Sharon Lee and Academy Award-winning Visual Effects Supervisor Bill George, both of whom Jein helped to get into the movie business. Regarding how Jein might feel about the impending flight, Lee said, “Part of him would be thinking, ‘Oh, gosh, you guys, don’t make such a fuss.’ And the other part of him would be going, “Woah! Coolest thing ever!’ I mean, this is perfect for him. Perfect.”
“It’s a thrilling idea,” George added, speaking of the space flight. “And I posted it on Facebook when the announcement went out and so many of our friends [said] ‘This is so perfect for Greg.’”
Our full interviews with Jonathan Justman, Sharon Lee, and Bill George and others involved in the Enterprise Flight will be released in the future, so stay tuned!