Ashes of Vancouver Star Trek fan set to go to space alongside famous stars
VANCOUVER — Gloria Knowlan never dreamt of boldly going where no one had gone before and was content to leave the journey to the “Star Trek” 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’s 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 “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry, his wife Majel Barrett Roddenberry and Original Series stars Nichelle Nichols, DeForest Kelley and fellow Canadian James Doohan.