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NASA made a video to say thank you to Nichelle Nichols, the star of "Star Trek", who is about to retire.
According to her website, she made her last public appearance at the L.A. Comic Con. At a time when few other Black women in television held such starring roles, Nicholas was best known for her role as communications officer Uhura in "The Original Series".
She may have dementia and be in a battle for control of her finances. Her influence was huge on the space community.
A documentary explores 'Star Trek' and the search for astronauts in the 70s.
The new documentary "Woman in Motion: Nichelle Nichols, Star Trek and the Remaking of NASA" tells the story of her role in expanding diversity at NASA. Paramount+)
After the end of "Star Trek", Nichols advocated for a more diverse astronaut corps that included women and other races, leading to a NASA-funded campaign to recruit the first women and Black astronauts in the 1970s.
Tracy Drain, NASA flight systems engineer, said in the NASA video that he first learned about "Star Trek" through his mom.
She used to rush home to watch the original 'Star Trek' with her sisters. They really liked seeing someone who looked like themselves playing a character on TV.
"Star Trek" actress Nichelle Nichols was employed by NASA to recruit new astronauts. The image is from NASA.
The first female launch director at NASA, Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, said that all women appreciated seeing Nichols in her technical role as Uhura.
"Nichelle Nichols gave us a road map for the future generation of women to follow, and I love how she embraced the role," said Blackwell-Thompson in the video. We need more Uhura.
The legacy of "Star Trek" is stronger than ever, as the franchise has several ongoing series: "Discovery," "Picard," "Lower Decks" and the newest recruit, the Captain Janeway-inspired "Prodigy" that launched earlier this fall. The first female captain of the franchise was Janeway, portrayed by Kate Mulgrew.
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