On April 21, 1997, a capsule was launched into orbit aboard a Pegasus XL rocket from near the Canary Islands.  The little spacecraft carried partial remains of Gene Roddenberry and several others into low earth orbit and eventually deteriorated and it disintegrated in the atmosphere.  Then on April 28, 2007, a SpaceLoft XL rocket launched a portion of James Doohan's remains into a four-minute suborbital flight before parachuting to earth.  Both flights were operated by Celestis, a Houston, Texas-based aerospace company and a leader in public participation spaceflight.

Now, Trek fan Phillip Green has joined the ranks of Trek giants Roddenberry & Doohan.  Green, 47, had been an avid sci-fi fan all his life before he suddenly died in 2007 as he returned from a walk.  Originally from Newcastle-on-Tyne, UK, was sent into orbit with American firm Celestis at midday, but will fall back to earth a day later.

Sister Lynne Howe, 59, said it was exactly the kind of send-off that he would have appreciated.  "He was keen on Star Wars and Star Trek, he was interested in all that kind of thing.  He would be delighted to know that he was going up there, he mentioned it when he was alive that he thought it would be brilliant."

"We think this send-off is exactly what he would have wanted. He would have loved the idea of being up there looking down on us."

The Pioneer Flight was launched at midday from Spaceport America, near Las Cruces, in New Mexico.A portion of Mr Green's remains was in the rocket with 18 others launched into space on a craft in separate capsules. His ashes will fall to earth after about a day and be returned to his family. (source DailyMail.co.uk)