James Doohan, 1997 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Actor James Doohan who played engineer Scotty in the original Star Trek series died in 2005, but his ashes has finally been sent into space. A California company launched a rocket carrying not only Scotty’s ashes but over 300 other peoples ashes as well. It is the first commercial spacecraft to ever go to the International Space Station. The spacecraft is taking supplies to the Space Station, and bringing cargo back to Earth.
If you would like to read more about this flight, I found an article in
The Telegraph
James Doohan stared in a lot of different roles, he was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, and he was very good with different accents even as a child. During the Second World War he joined the Royal Canadian Artillery.
Other shows Scotty has appeared in:
- Scotty in a MacGyver’s episode
- Scotty in a Bonaza episode
- Scotty in Gunsmoke
- Scotty in Loaded Weapon
All of the above videos are on You Tube and are only a few minutes in length.
There has been three attempts to get Scotty’s ashes into outer space, they all failed. On one attempt his ashes were found on a hillside in New Mexico after the rocket exploded.
I found an article about this from 2008 in The Telegraph.
But finally his ashes are again on a spacecraft.
This time he has finally made it.
“Beam me up Scotty!” I can’t help but think of those words from Star Trek. I guess he is truly facing the ‘final’ frontier of the after life. RIP.
Hi writingfeemail,
Very famous words indeed, so many great quotes from Scotty, even people that never watched Star Trek all seem to know a lot of the quotes.
“Beam me up, Scotty” is a catchphrase that made its way into popular culture from the science fiction television series Star Trek. It comes from the command Captain Kirk gives his chief engineer, Montgomery “Scotty” Scott, when he needs to be transported back to the Starship Enterprise.
Though it has become irrevocably associated with the series and movies, the exact phrase was never actually spoken in any Star Trek television episode or film.
Precise quotations
In the Original Series episodes “The Gamesters of Triskelion” and “The Savage Curtain”, Kirk said, “Scotty, beam us up”; in the animated episodes “The Lorelei Signal” and “The Infinite Vulcan”, when he said, “Beam us up, Scotty”; in Star Trek IV, saying, “Scotty, beam me up”; and in Star Trek Generations, by saying, “Beam them out of there, Scotty”. The phrase was used on a bumper sticker with the tag line “Beam me up Scotty. There’s no intelligent life down here.”
The complete phrase was eventually said by William Shatner in the audio adaptation of his novel Star Trek: The Ashes of Eden.
James Doohan, the actor who played Scotty, later chose this phrase as the title of his autobiography
Hi Anonymous,
Thank You very much for visiting and your great comment, fantastic info. I still enjoy watching reruns of the original Star Trek’s series, I never seem to get tired of it, such a fantastic show.
Thank You again for the wonderful info.
The perfect ending!
Hi Elyse,
It certainly is the perfect ending, looking down on Earth from space, he would of loved that I am sure.
I missed this on the news so thank you for bringing it to us here! I am so glad his ashes finally got there!
Hi purpleborough,
Yes it certainly wasn’t easy getting him there, but this time he made it, and now he can finally rest in peace.
Anything … goes in this world – glad he made it. Don’t really know what to think about the whole thing … I think we should spend our tax money on earth where it mostly needed – national health – so everybody get the same care. This with space should come last in times like this. Fair enough for satellites, but the rest can wait until we sorted out the world for everybody – food, schools, fresh water and medical care for everyone.
Hi Viveka,
The main reason for this flight to the Space Station was supplies for the guys on the Space Station as well as bringing cargo back to earth, I don’t know exactly what was brought back with the flight.
But I know exactly what you mean, there are a lot of problems in a lot of places around the world at the moment, and there seems to be a lot of talk but not much progress at all, the money was certainly needed for a lot of things.
I didn’t want to laugh…really I didn’t but the first time the rocket exploded. Glad he made it this time though. I watched the 2009 Star trek movie last night (couldn’t sleep) and I loved the character of Scotty.
Hi Jo,
I think Scotty himself would have a laugh, it is just unbelievable how hard it has been to get his ashes into space, but it has happened this time, the fourth attempt, he is finally there.
I met James Doohan when I was sixteen, and was surprised and a little disappointed to learn that he didn’t really have a Scottish accent. Somewhere in the basement is the little informal interview he gave us on an old homemade cassette. He was very kind to a small group of geeky gawky teenagers!
Hi Naomi,
Yes you just assume he was Scottish, he was fantastic with the different accents, his voice was also used a couple of times as a computer in the Star Trek series.
What a cool ending. I imagine he’s very pleased.
Of course with my motion sickness the last thing I would want anyone to do is send my ashes into space! haha! (Such an absurd thought for me! Lol!)
Hi A Gripping Life,
Yes he should be very happy with the final outcome, I wouldn’t mind, as long as someone else paid for it.
R.I.P. Scotty
.
Hi Windsmoke,
Yes he can now finally rest in peace.
I was not aware of this, nor the first attempt to get his ashes into outer space. It totally makes sense for him to want this. Very interesting.
Hi mj monaghan,
Yes it was his wish, it is good to see this flight didn’t have any problems, and he is now in outer space.
It’s great that he finally got his wish but boy, it sure did take a while xx
Hi Hotly Spiced,
It certainly did take awhile, who could of imagined it would be this hard to get him there, but he is now circling the Earth, with I imagine a huge grin.
I knew about SpaceX, and I was thrilled for the huge accomplishment the developers made by getting to the international space station, but I did not know they took Doohan’s ashes with them. Thanks for educating me, Mags!
Hi Lenore,
It was huge accomplishment for a commercial spacecraft to make it to the Space Station and back, I think a lot of the media was concentrating on that part of it more than the ashes of those that would be scattered in outer space, but it was good to see some newspapers cover the whole story.
Good one, I’m a fan of Star Trek, especially the first series. Do you know what will become of the ashes? Are they all in separate containers and to be released from the space station? That would mean 300 plus mini coffins ripping through space and confusing any other life out there! Bruce
Hi Bruce,
I’m also a big fan of the first Star Trek series, a fantastic show, always entertaining.
It is only the ashes that are being scattered not the containers as far as I know, that is the picture I got from reading about it anyway. It would be a bit dangerous for a whole heap of containers doing their thing is space, we have a lot of satellites up there.
He’ll be up there with Gene Roddenberry (the creator of Star Trek) who also launched his ashes into space. It seems fitting, somehow. Rest well, Scotty!
Hi Selma,
That’s right, and it does seem very fitting. I’m glad he finally made it.
Like William Shatner, another Canadian! Thanks for that, Mags.
Hi Mal,
Yes that is right he also was a Canadian, a truly great show Star Trek, I never missed an episode, all the actors I thought were great.
As a teenage boy in 1966-67, Lt. Uhura was my favourite. I see that “uhuru” is Swahili for “freedom”.
Yes she was fantastic in her role, it suited her so well. I found a bit about her in Wikipedia if you are interested.
Lt. Uhura
Thanks Mags. I found this interesting: “In the 1968 episode “Plato’s Stepchildren”, Uhura and Captain Kirk kiss. The episode is popularly cited as the first example of a scripted inter-racial kiss on United States television. Originally, the scene was meant to be filmed with and without the kiss, so that the network could later decide whether to air the kiss. However, Shatner and Nichols deliberately flubbed every take of the shot without the kiss so that they could not be used.”
That is very interesting, how very smart of Shatner and Nichols to do that.
How interesting is that?! I think he’ll be happy in his final resting place.
Hi Laurie,
I also think he will be very happy with his ashes in space.
I think it’s inspiring that people didn’t give up and pop his ashes in the ground.
Hi Maureen,
I totally agree, and I assume his family is also now relieved to know that finally he is where he wished to be.
Continued films and TV shows confirm that Star Trek is a classic … yet the original stars are one of a kind. At least some are still with us today. Well done Mags.
Hi Frank,
So very true. I have even watched re-runs of the original Star Trek that many times I have lost count. The original series I thought had the best actors, they were brilliant in the roles they all played.
… and it set the foundation for the others that followed and for the ones to come.
It certainly did, and I agree there will be others as well.
I’m one of the few who has never watched Star Trek. Not one episode. I’ve heard that expression, though … ‘beam me up, Scotty’. Good that he finally made it
Hi reb,
As I said in a comment above, even the people that have never watched Star Trek know of some quotes, it is just amazing for a show to have that sort of impact.
It is wonderful that he finally made his last journey.
What a way to go, Mags!
Hi This Sydney Life,
Oh yes for Scotty the best way.
So, maybe an astronaut of the future may well hear a ghostly voice saying ‘She’ll no’ tak’ much more o’ this, Cap’n!’
I’m reminded a little of the architect Clough Williams-Ellis, who directed that his ashes be placed in a rocket, to be set off in a firework display from his creation, the village of Portmeirion (where the original series ‘The Prisoner’ was filmed) in Wales.
Hi travelrat,
Yes an astronaut just may hear those famous words from Scotty.
I never heard about Clough Williams-Ellis, how very interesting, it is a very different way of scattering one’s ashes that is for sure.
He would certainly rest in peace now, Mags!👍👍 all thumbs up for another well-thought, well-written post😊
Hi Aina,
Yes and with a smile I should imagine.
Thank You.
Certainly! 😊 he’s probably in big smiles right now 😊
A fitting and happy end to his story.
Until aliens find the canister and trace it back to Earth.
(That’s the plot of Start Trek XXV, in pre-production now.)
Hi El Guapo,
I totally agree.
They’re a bit slow with the movie, they should of had it up and running while all of this was in the news, you’ll have to have a word to them, they have missed out on a lot of free publicity.
I’d read about this too – a very appropriate and long overdue send-off!
Hi raisingdaisy,
It certainly was overdue, but at least this time he made it.
wow, great post!
Hi mimo,
Thank You, I’m happy to hear you liked the post.
“I’m given her all she’s got, Capt’n.” That’s what I remember Scotty saying all the time. I am glad his ashes made it to space. That’s where his mind lived…that’s where he was.
Scott
Hi Scott,
Most of the well known quotes from Star Trek have all been by Scotty, he played his part so well. I agree, he would love being in space looking down on the Earth.
He is now in the space… I can’t believe, soon we will be able to travel to the space too… Thank you dear Mags, it was as always nice post and interesting post… Thank you, have a nice new week, love, nia
Hi Nia,
Yes they are working towards being able to send everyday people into space.
Scotty is now resting peacefully.
I have seen almost every episode of Star Trek — and this story was so great to read! Thank you for enlightening me, as always Mags, to the happy and unusual occurrences around the world.
Hi Melissa,
A fantastic show Star Trek, I never missed an episode either, loved the show, yes it is a great ending.
That’s wonderful that his wishes have been granted and that his ashes have finially made it into space. I know when our dog passes it was strange to have to make the decision of what to do bury her or to cremate her. I would have rather had the ashes but Navar wanted to bury her. We burried her in a very beautiful place on our bluebird trail. May they both rest in peace. :+)
finally and passed not passes sheesh you would think I would learn to edit my comments first before I hit the post comment button.
Hi starlaschat,
It is good that he is where he wanted, he can now rest.
Yes it is hard, we also decided on burying our beloved pet as well, it is not easy.
It’s sad that pets don’t live longer. They are such a wonderful part of the family. :+)
How wonderful that he is finally where he always wanted to be! Thanks again for sharing this wonderful video.
Hi Madhu,
I agree, it took a long time, but eventually he got there.
Only way that Scotty could have gone or would have wanted to go
Aussie Ian
Hi Aussie Ian,
It is the place he belongs that is for sure.
I loved Star Trek and Scotty played such an important role in making you care about the story! I’m glad he’s going to his final resitng place in space!
Hi Linda,
He was brilliant, the part of the engineer really suited him, he is where he wanted to be and of course smiling as he is going around the Earth.
Oh, wow! What a wonderful tribute to a man who’d been a part of our childhood history. I love Star Trek. It used to be in black and white on t.v., then the cinema and all. It is so generous of the group who sent his ashes in space. Wherever he is now, his heart must be so happy. Great post.
Hi island traveler,
I am also a fan of Star Trek such a great series, and I agree his heart would be very happy I am sure.