A tribute to Gene Roddenberry and physical space

As a tribute to Gene Roddenberry and Star Trek and as a celebration of Gene Roddenberry vision, if say a "replica 6 foot starship" could be flown into physical space what ship would you want to see go up and why?

 

Yeah! I'm first. What do I win?
Seriously. After seeing that YouTube video of the guy that modified the 3 foot model to run underwater complete with lights and a little water jet sticking out of the shuttlebay. I thought it would be cool to have one running around the inside of the ISS in zero G. To build one to work outside in space, it would have to be built so it wouldn't immediately melt from the high temperatures. I guess it could be made out of aluminum with LEDs for lights. 3 foot is a good size. It should fit through the airlock hatch. Otherwise just make it bigger like a full-size replica of the 11 foot filming model. It could have little compressed gas RCS jets to stabilize it and a transponder to continually broadcast it's location in orbit forever. It might need some solar cells to recharge the transponder batteries.

 

I do highly recommend the original Enterprise. It's not the most beautiful ship [no offense!] but it is the first and original, and most appropriate to the tribute.

 

I don't know, but the ship should be wearing a min-skirt...and in deference to this BBS, a sombrero.

 

I think this is a fantastic idea, even if it floated around out there for a few minutes,... what a photo op, not to mention a great tribute to Gene.

While I agree that the Original Enterprise is really what started it all, I voted for the 'D' because it's the last Enterprise that Gene created.

 

I voted for the original... but wouldn't be too miffed if the Enterprise-D was selected.

 

The first Enterprise we saw all those years ago, simply because it was the first. What better tribute could you have to Gene and Star Trek?

 

The original Connie seems most appropriate. She has a simple elegance and a retro feel that reminds me of Roddenberry's idealism during troubled times.

 

The original Enterprise certainly seems to be the most appropriate and logical choice, but I voted for the D because I think it was the most graceful and polished of Enterprise's incarnations.

 

I feel we have a consensus building towards the TOS Enterprise. At the very least I think that NASA should pack one of those 1 foot DS TOS Enterprise models aboard one of the last two shuttle flights. We could see it flying around inside the ISS.

 

It would be the too cool to see three 6 foot starships, the orginal enterprise, the D and a new ship named after Gene flying in tandem together and photographed in space.

I would really like to see the either the orginal or the D go up, because Gene was part of those and that would be the greatest tribute, but not sure if that is possible yet. Hopefully, I will know soon.

I also believe that it would really be a great tribute to fly something really worthy of Gene's vision of people working together and putting a ship up. I believe the ship should be roughly around 6 feet long, although that could change for various reasons. I also believe it should carrry an, as yet to be determined, real science payload of sorts. As well as some cameras of course. But I think that in really doing this should be something very special.

The starship could be made by someone like MIT or another educational organization with an educational emphasis for students from middle school up through college. This could also be filmed and make a great science documentary. But, it would get young people involved in building and being part of an actual really cool starship with a major emphasis on education and make the science fun.

If it can't be the orginal or the D there are a couple of other cool possiblities perhaps that could work and still be a great tribute.

I am actually working on a project to try to accomplish such a mission like this and to send a historical and educational tribute to Gene into space with a science payload, which I believe is all technically possible.

I would also like to see the ship retrievable from Orbit, as I believe it would end up in the Smithsonian or prehaps even be reusable.

I have studied astronomy and cosmology for some 35 years and a big part of my own interest in science and space came in big part from Gene's visions and a starship and an imagniation. I really think and hope a project like this would could be an awesome tribute and celebration to Gene. I also believe it would be an excellent way to get younger people interested in space exploration and science at the same time. I think a major tribute to Gene, a starship design, an emphasis on science education would all be awesome towards accomplishing these goals. I also believe it would be historical for many reasons.

 

I'm actually surprised that some astronaut hasn't taken up at least a Micromachine Enterprise on one of the flights yet. (Or maybe they have and I haven't heard about it?) I mean, even Buzz Lightyear has been to the ISS!

 

Agreed. While I do have a fondness for the original, I think the D is the best design.

 

BJ, I am surprized also, which is why I believe its time to send something and why I am dedicated to trying.

While a minature would be kind of cool, a working small ship would be a lot cooler and a major tribute.

RandyS, the d might have more room in its design for some of the things I am mentioning for the mission.

If its retrievable it will likely need parachutes for one.

 

Some men see things as they are and say why? I dream things that never were and say why not?
Robert Kennedy

There is also big humanitarian aspect to all this, people working together in sharing a dream and making it a reality. I believe this is in harmony with Gene's vision of the future and people cooperating for a better world and investigating space.

As well as promotion of getting off the planet to colonize the moon and mars and move futher out into space. There will come a time for sure when earth becomes over populated in the future. We have to move into space.

I highly appreciate everyones comments and suggestions and feelings on it all.

 

I just talked to a professor at MIT who is involed with the students and the MIT areospace program and they are very interested in this project.

 

Scientist, then astronaut, now lecturer, Hoffman returns to MIT.

"
During his fifth flight, Hoffman became the first astronaut to log more than 1,000 hours in space aboard the space shuttle. On that same mission, MIT alumnus Franklin Chang-Diaz (Sc.D. 1977) became the second.
Hoffman has extensive extravehicular activity (EVA) experience, with more than 25 hours spent outside the space shuttle on four separate space walks. Only seven active NASA astronauts have more EVA experience.
"I had the satisfaction of knowing that I probably did more good for astronomy by fixing the Hubble Space Telescope than I ever would have done as a practicing astronomer," Hoffman said.
REAL-WORLD EXPERIENCE

At MIT, Hoffman hopes to share his operational knowledge and spaceflight experience with students within the context of the Conceive-Design-Implement-Operate (CDIO) paradigm that the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics is pursuing to educate the next generation of engineering leaders. "

http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2002/hoffman-0313.html

 

It's got to be TOS enterprise for me great tribute to the great bird of the galaxy. It will be the last shuttle launch soon so I'm hoping they will take some item from star trek up with them as a tribute for the final mission. We must remember our future will be in the stars it's mankind destiny to travel and explore space !!!

 

I vote for 'E' just because I think it's the most beautiful ship thus far in the series. Sleekness and power go unmatched by any other.

 

There may be issues with the structure and actual physical space of the ship on the TOS itself. The D might be more suited for space actually. There are stressors to consider on the frames of the ships and room for things like parachutes and a science payload. As well as reentry issues.

I love the orignal TOS of course, one of my all time favorite ships ever and would love to see her go up and go up first, but for space the "D" or even Andrew's new ship the "F" starship might be better suited structure wise and space wise for a payload and to retreive it. Andrew's work is awesome.

I think for sure if the ship was retreived it would go into the Smithsonian.