Late last year, Celestis Memorial Spaceflights announced their next flight. Dubbed the Enterprise mission, it will see the remains of several Star Trek luminaries journeying into the final frontier on the Vulcan Centaur rocket. Since the announcement, I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing friends and family members of the late, great cast and crew who will be blasting off next month. Throughout the month of April, I’ll be releasing those interviews.

It’s the dream of many a Star Trek fan to meet and befriend their heroes. Imagine grabbing a coffee with Kate Mulgrew or a tea (Earl Grey, hot, of course) with Patrick Stewart! As a fan of Dr. McCoy portrayer DeForest Kelley, Kris Smith was surprised when she got to meet him and became close with him and his wife Carolyn. She wrote a book about the experience and now that his ashes are space-bound, she’s here to talk about their friendship.

For information on the Enterprise mission: https://www.celestis.com/launch-schedule/enterprise-flight/

Kris Smith's DeForest Kelley collection auction: https://jimsia.com/

DeForest Kelley Up Close and Personal: A Harvest of Memories From the Fan Who Knew Him Best: https://amzn.to/3GMQeN5