People and Places - The Final Frontier | Текст песни

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Группа Learning English.
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http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/people_and_places/pdfs/people_doohan_070524.pdf

Callum: Hello, I’m Callum Robertson and this is People and Places. Today I’m going to
be talking about the actor James Doohan.
James Doohan was most well known as the engineer Scotty in the iconic
science fiction programme Star Trek. Initially Star Trek was a television series
in the 1960s but since 1979 there have been 10 films and four further television
series.
The series began at a time when space exploration was in its infancy, man had
yet to walk on the moon and the idea of travelling in space was catching on in
the public imagination.
The television series referred to space as ‘the final frontier’, the last unexplored
area. And in the series, the exploration took place in a spaceship called the
Enterprise. Such was the impact of the series that in the 1970s NASA called
one of their real space shuttles by the same name, Enterprise.
James Doohan played the chief engineer of the fictional star ship Enterprise. It
was his job to get the most out of the engines as the vessel flew through space.
Of course it was a fictional vessel and during his life James Doohan never did
get to fly in space.
He died in 2005 but his dream to go into space was realised last month when
his ashes were flown in a rocket into orbit. It was something he had asked for
in his will. BBC correspondent Peter Willis attended the rocket launch and explains a little
more about what is called Post Cremation Memorial Space Flight. How many
people have used the service so far?
Peter Willis
Post Cremation Memorial Space Flight, as it’s known, is a growth industry here in the United
States. Star Trek creator, Gene Rodenberry, was one of the first to have his remains fired into
orbit. That was ten years ago and since then more than 100 others have made the final frontier
their final journey.
Callum: Peter described these space flights as a ‘growth industry’. It’s a new business
which is getting bigger. He said that more than 100 people have made the final
frontier their final journey. He mentioned Gene Rodenberry as another
individual who had his ashes flown into space. When was this and what was
Rodenberry’s connection to Star Trek? Listen again.
Peter Willis
Post Cremation Memorial Space Flight, as it’s known, is a growth industry here in the United
States. Star Trek creator, Gene Rodenberry, was one of the first to have his remains fired into
orbit. That was ten years ago and since then more than 100 others have made the final frontier
their final journey.
Callum: Gene Rodenberry was the creator of Star Trek and his ashes made the trip into
the final frontier 10 years ago.
What is perhaps interesting about these space flights is that the ashes don’t stay
up in space. They are fired up in a small unmanned rocket from the desert and
then come back down to earth. Peter Willis describes what happened when
James Doohan’s rocket was launched. Who else’s ashes made the trip as well?
Peter Willis
There were tears and whoops of joy from relatives on the ground as the rocket took off from a
tiny launch pad here in the middle of the desert. Scotty’s ashes were accompanied by those of
the former American astronaut Gordon Cooper and 200 other people. Scotty’s widow, Wendy
Doohan, says he wanted to follow the example of Star Trek’s creator Gene Rodenberry.
Today’s launch is seen as a considerable boost for the commercial space effort. The company
behind it predicts that more people will now be looking to have their ashes beamed to the
‘final frontier’.
Callum: James Doohan was accompanied on this final trip by the ashes of former
astronaut Gordon Cooper and 200 other people. Peter Willis suggests that the
publicity surrounding this launch will encourage more people to have their
ashes blasted into space. Listen again.
...

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