Mission Accomplished: The First Nichelle Nichols Space Camp Launches with Stellar Success!
The Nichelle Nichols Foundation welcomed 16 incredible young women (ages 14 to 17, from across the country) to the first ever Nichelle Nichols Space Camp, an unforgettable experience designed to inspire the next generation of explorers.
Together, they took on team building challenges, ran space missions, completed astronaut style training, and dove into hands on science experiments, all while discovering what’s possible when curiosity meets confidence.
As part of the Nichelle Nichols Foundation Space Camp experience, Penny J. Pettigrew led participants on a behind the scenes tour at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, where they got to see some of the real facilities used to support International Space Station crews. Penny is also a Space Camp graduate and a member of the Space Camp Hall of Fame, and she still credits Space Camp for providing the best training for her current position.
A special thank you to Bonnie Gordon from Star Trek: Prodigy, who joined us on site as a mentor and chaperone, keeping spirits high and making sure everyone had an amazing time.
We can’t wait to grow Space Camp into a program that expands for years to come, helping more young women build skills, community, and the courage to Boldly Go.
More photos and videos are coming over the next few weeks. Stay tuned.
Hear from one of the happy campers below!
INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION!
Donate to the Nichelle Nichols Space Camp
“We are honored to work with the Nichelle Nichols Foundation to continue providing our world-class Space Camp program to a diverse community of young people. Together, we can inspire a spirit of discovery to change lives and change the world for the better through a passion for exploration.” Dr. Kimberly Robinson, CEO and Executive Director of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center.
Mission: Boldly Going Forward
Together
We are here to continue breaking down the barriers.
We are here to open the doors of opportunity.
We are here to serve and inspire women and BIPOC (Blacks, Indigenous, People of Color) communities to reach for the stars.
Education is the gateway to dreams, and our young people are our future.
With Nichelle Nichols as our guiding star, we continue the mission to make an impact in young people’s lives and create a path for STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) related education and careers.
The Nichelle Nichols Foundation (NNF) will advance her dream to inspire future generations who will shape our world in the image of Star Trek and its “Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations” (IDIC) philosophy: a world that is diverse, kind, and peaceful.
Nichelle Nichols Remembers Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The late actress shared her fondest memories of the civil rights leader.
Back in 2010, during an interview with StarTrek.com, Nichols recounted how Dr. King inspired her and how she’d inspired him and his family, and why she chose to heed his personal request to remain with Star Trek: The Original Series.
Originally published Jan 16, 2023.
