Actress Nichelle Nichols is one of the most iconic stars to come out of the “Star Trek” universe. Three years after her passing, her legacy lives on through the Nichelle Nichols Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama. Slated to open in early 2026, it will be a weekend-long experience for teen girls ages 14 to 18.
“Students will work as a team and confront mission scenarios that require dynamic problem solving and critical thinking — 21st century learning skills required in the workplace,” the website reads.
The project is fully backed by the Nichelle Nichols Foundation and is supported by some of her former co-stars. “It’s a positive project to be involved in. Creating a career which is so exciting and so full of promise is great,” Walter Koenig told People. “She was extremely warm-hearted. We had a lot of laughs together. She was the first person who came over to me from the series and introduced herself; I remember that and I thought it was very sweet. We got along quite well over the years.”
Bonnie Gordon (“Star Trek: Prodigy“) will work at the camp as a mentor. “Not only am I a huge fan of space exploration and science, I’m just a big fan of mentoring young girls and children in science,” she explained. “I feel like there’s so much here on Earth that we have yet to explore and so much that NASA and space programs have accomplished in space, advancing technologies. There’s just so much we can learn where everything’s connected. Pushing these young women to be whatever they want to be, pushing the boundaries of not just space, but science and their own personal discoveries, is just a dream come true for me.”
Continuing Nichols’ Work
Beyond her work as an actress, Nichols helped to recruit more diverse astronauts to NASA. Among her many recruits was Sally Ride, the first American female astronaut. Nichols’ ashes were even sent into space aboard a Celestial Memorial Spaceflight.
“I don’t think people realize how groundbreaking she was, not just in entertainment, but in science, because so many little girls who watched Star Trek growing up saw that they could have a future in science,” Gordon said. “There’s so much that she’s left behind. She was a big believer in the philosophy of infinite diversity and infinite combinations, which is basically the Vulcan philosophy.”
Registration for the Nichelle Nichols Space Camp is now open. We cannot wait to report on all their achievements in the future!
