'Star Trek Beyond' Beams Up to the International Space Station

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(Image credit: Paramount Pictures via Twitter)

Talk about "Beam me up!" The latest entry in the "Star Trek" science fiction franchise — "Star Trek Beyond" — has been "beamed up" to the International Space Station for real-life space explorers to enjoy as they live and work in the final frontier. 

Representives with Paramount announced on Oct. 4 that "Star Trek Beyond" was sent to the space station crew. The timing coincided with World Space Week and the 59th anniversary of the first orbital launch of Sputnik 1 on Oct. 4, 1957. 

"The International Space Station serves as the world's leading laboratory for conducting cutting-edge microgravity research, and is the primary platform for technology development and testing in space to enable human and robotic exploration of destinations beyond low-Earth orbit, including asteroids and Mars," Paramount representatives wrote in a statement. "A living embodiment of 'Star Trek' creator Gene Roddenberry's vision, the multinational inhabitants of the ISS will now have the opportunity to enjoy the very latest 'Star Trek' adventure as they continue to boldly go where no one has gone before." [What Makes a 'Star Trek' Fan? (Slideshow)]

"Star Trek Beyond" hit theaters in July, just a few months ahead of the "Star Trek" franchise's 50th anniversary on Sept. 8. That milestone, which celebrated the anniversary of the original "Star Trek" TV series' debut was felt even all the way in space, with NASA launching an entire website to mark the occasion.

Paramount representatives said "Star Trek" has been "widely credited for inspiring a number of technologies we enjoy today and for depicting a future in which international — and interspecies — coperation advances human knowledge beyond the bounds of Earth."

For example, NASA's first space shuttle prototype was named the Enterprise after a successful campaign by dedicated Trek fans. And several astronauts (such as Michael Fincke and Terry Virts) have even made cameos in "Star Trek" episodes. 

"Star Trek Beyond's" space station trek comes as the film is available as a Digital HD download. The movie will be available on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD on Nov. 1.

Email Tariq Malik at tmalik@space.com or follow him @tariqjmalik and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.

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Tariq Malik
Tariq Malik
Editor-in-Chief

Tariq is the Editor-in-Chief of Space.com and joined the team in 2001, first as an intern and staff writer, and later as an editor. He covers human spaceflight, exploration and space science, as well as skywatching and entertainment. He became Space.com's Managing Editor in 2009 and Editor-in-Chief in 2019. Before joining Space.com, Tariq was a staff reporter for The Los Angeles Times covering education and city beats in La Habra, Fullerton and Huntington Beach. In October 2022, Tariq received the Harry Kolcum Award for excellence in space reporting from the National Space Club Florida Committee. He is also an Eagle Scout (yes, he has the Space Exploration merit badge) and went to Space Camp four times as a kid and a fifth time as an adult. He has journalism degrees from the University of Southern California and New York University. You can find Tariq at Space.com and as the co-host to the This Week In Space podcast with space historian Rod Pyle on the TWiT network. To see his latest project, you can follow Tariq on Twitter @tariqjmalik.