NASA Remembers Leonard Nimoy

[bigtree]

____NASA is mourning the passing today of actor Leonard Nimoy, most famous for his role as Star Trek's Vulcan science officer Mr. Spock. The sci-fi classic served as an inspiration for many at NASA over the years, and Nimoy joined other cast members at special NASA events and worked to promote NASA missions, as in this 2007 video he narrated before the launch of the Dawn mission to the asteroid belt. Nimoy also was there for the 1976 rollout of the shuttle Enterprise, named for the show's iconic spacecraft.

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden issued the following statement upon hearing of Nimoy's passing:

“Leonard Nimoy was an inspiration to multiple generations of engineers, scientists, astronauts, and other space explorers. As Mr. Spock, he made science and technology important to the story, while never failing to show, by example, that it is the people around us who matter most. NASA was fortunate to have him as a friend and a colleague. He was much more than the Science Officer for the USS Enterprise. Leonard was a talented actor, director, philanthropist, and a gracious man dedicated to art in many forms. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and the legions of Star Trek fans around the world.”

RIP Leonard Nimoy. So many of us at NASA were inspired by Star Trek. Boldly go... http://t.co/qpeH5BTzQc pic.twitter.com/nMmFMKYv1L
— NASA (@NASA) February 27, 2015

NASA astronaut Scott Kelly, soon to launch on a one-year mission to the International Space Station, and current station astronaut Sam Cristoforetti joined others sharing their thoughts on Twitter.

#RIP @TheRealNimoy who popularized #space travel for generations to come so we may live long and prosper pic.twitter.com/UxWc3PVulO
— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) February 27, 2015

Live Long and Prosper, Mr. #Spock! "Leonard Nimoy, Spock of Star Trek, Dies at 83" http://t.co/YUKDWJea2v pic.twitter.com/qYUNbzPdnD
— Sam Cristoforetti (@AstroSamantha) February 27, 2015

Other tweets honoring Nimoy today include:

In the early days of both #StarTrek & Goddard - Leonard Nimoy toured our labs. #RIPLeonardNimoy @therealnimoy pic.twitter.com/GPMsROYRxl
— NASA Goddard (@NASAGoddard) February 27, 2015

http://www.nasa.gov/content/nasa-remembers-leonard-nimoy/index.html

[cyberswede]

1. K&R

[Beartracks]

9. Wish I could rec this post! +1

[neverforget]

18. Only Takei is still with us in that picture.

[bigtree]

2. »

[obxhead]

3. .

[Half-Century Man]

4. A simple suggestion.

From this day forward, Let us name any space going vehicle in honor of the ones who got us to stand and reach up.
USS G. Roddenberry
USS I. Asimov
USS R. Heinlein
USS U. Le Guin
USS L. Nimoy

Everyday (combining the speeds of planetary rotation, orbit around the sun, orbit around galactic central point, and movement away from big bang detonation point) we scream along a million miles a day, going where none of us have been before; some boldly, some craven, some fanatical, and most oblivious.

Live Long and Prosper

[SusanCalvin]

5. Totally agree, but

Who is this *H.* Heinlein of whom you speak...?!

[Half-Century Man]

6. Capt. Rewrite here.

That was from a partial erase of "Harry Harrison" (omitted due to name recognition issues) and a sticky backspace key.
I have older software; I do have spell checker, but not intention checker.

[Beartracks]

10. Google tells me some of these existed in Star Trek's "expanded universe." But...

... it would be cool to see such noble vessels in real life.

=============================

[eridani]

11. i could go for that. One more spell check--Le Guin n/t

[Half-Century Man]

14. TY, posted too fast.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

16. USS Niven, dammit!

[Half-Century Man]

19. Might I suggest

For Nivin's namesake; a ring shaped space station which uses revolution to produce an artificial gravity. One 5 kilometers in diameter and 50 meters from side to side; sharing earths orbit 3 months behind the planet.

[Fumesucker]

20. USS Pournelle

After all, they wrote a book together that had Heinlein in it..

[niyad]

22. a most excellent idea!

[Half-Century Man]

25. After further thought,

One of the positive aspects is just saying the name of your ship prompts one to think in the realm of what wonders exist.

As opposed to naming ships after war time presidents. A constant point stressed to members of the military when I served was; "We go do our job, when politicians fail at theirs". That move the point of view from ; what wonders might be to I got nothing else.

Another positive aspect is that if we include the names of writers and dreamers born outside of the USA, the list becomes huge. However, I cannot decide whether I'd be happy or worried if I got assigned to the USS Baron Munchausen.

[snort]

23. With all that activity up there, they'll need a garbage scow:

USS O. S. Card

[jalan48]

7. May the Force be with You.

[Initech]

13. Wrong series.

I think you're looking for the phrase "Live long and prosper."

[jalan48]

15. Sorry-my bad. Star Wars is not Star Trek.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

17. Star Errs.

[AngryDem001]

27. But the sentiment still applies.

As an ST and an SW fan, I believe that Mr. Nimoy is now a part of the Living Force.....

[Stellar]

8. #LLAP Mr Spock (Leonard Nimoy)

Beautiful memories! R.I.P.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

12. This is amazing!!

[niyad]

21. k and r--what lovely tributes.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

24. LLAP

NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Astronaut Terry Virts captured this photo from the International Space Station flying over Boston, where Leonard Nimoy was born.
http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.2132788.1425150507!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/article_970/nimoy1n-1-web.jpg

[burrowowl]

26. He was a humanist and a Renaissance man