The Final Frontier（在线收听）

　　BBC Learning EnglishPeople and PlacesThe Final FrontierCallum: Hello, I’m Callum Robertson and this is People andPlaces. Today I’m going tobe talking about the actor James Doohan.
　　James Doohan was most well known as the engineer Scotty inthe iconic science fiction programme Star Trek. InitiallyStar Trek was a television series in the 1960s but since 1979there have been 10 films and four further television series.
　　The series began at a time when space exploration was in itsinfancy, man had yet to walk on the moon and the idea oftravelling in space was catching on in the publicimagination.
　　The television series referred to space as ‘the finalfrontier’, the last unexplored area. And in the series, theexploration took place in a spaceship called the Enterprise.
　　Such was the impact of the series that in the 1970s NASAcalledone of their real space shuttles by the same name,Enterprise.
　　James Doohan played the chief engineer of the fictional starship Enterprise. It was his job to get the most out of theengines as the vessel flew through space. Of course it was afictional vessel and during his life James Doohan never didget to fly in space.
　　He died in 2005 but his dream to go into space was realisedlast month when his ashes were flown in a rocket into orbit.
　　It was something he had asked forin his will.
　　BBC correspondent Peter Willis attended the rocket launch andexplains a littlemore about what is called Post Cremation Memorial SpaceFlight. How many people have used the service so far?
　　Peter WillisPost Cremation Memorial Space Flight, as it’s known, is agrowth industry here in the United States. Star Trek creator,Gene Rodenberry, was one of the first to have his remainsfired into orbit. That was ten years ago and since then morethan 100 others have made the final frontier their finaljourney.
　　Callum: Peter described these space flights as a ‘growthindustry’. It’s a new business which is getting bigger. Hesaid that more than 100 people have made the final frontiertheir final journey. He mentioned Gene Rodenberry as anotherindividual who had his ashes flown into space. When was thisand what was Rodenberry’s connection to Star Trek? Listenagain.
　　Peter WillisPost Cremation Memorial Space Flight, as it’s known, is agrowth industry here in the United States. Star Trek creator,Gene Rodenberry, was one of the first to have his remainsfired into orbit. That was ten years ago and since then morethan 100 others have made the final frontier their finaljourney.
　　Callum: Gene Rodenberry was the creator of Star Trek and hisashes made the trip into the final frontier 10 years ago.
　　What is perhaps interesting about these space flights is thatthe ashes don’t stay up in space. They are fired up in asmall unmanned rocket from the desert and then come back downto earth. Peter Willis describes what happened when JamesDoohan’s rocket was launched. Who else’s ashes made thetrip as well?
　　Peter WillisThere were tears and whoops of joy from relatives on theground as the rocket took off from a tiny launch pad here inthe middle of the desert. Scotty’s ashes were accompanied bythose of the former American astronaut Gordon Cooper and 200other people. Scotty’s widow, Wendy Doohan, says he wantedto follow the example of Star Trek’s creator GeneRodenberry. Today’s launch is seen as a considerable boostfor the commercial space effort. The company behind itpredicts that more people will now be looking to have theirashes beamed to the‘final frontier’.
　　Callum: James Doohan was accompanied on this final trip bythe ashes of former astronaut Gordon Cooper and 200 otherpeople. Peter Willis suggests that the publicity surroundingthis launch will encourage more people to have their ashesblasted into space. Listen again.
　　Peter WillisThere were tears and whoops of joy from relatives on theground as the rocket took off from a tiny launch pad here inthe middle of the desert. Scotty’s ashes were accompanied bythose of the former American astronaut Gordon Cooper and 200other people. Scotty’s widow, Wendy Doohan, says he wantedto follow the example of Star Trek’s creator GeneRodenberry. Today’s launch is seen as a considerable boostfor the commercial space effort. The company behind itpredicts that more people will now be looking to have theirashes beamed to the‘final frontier’.
　　Callum: That’s all from this edition of People and Places.
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