The Best of NASA's Pop-Culture-Themed Publicity Photos

The ties between Star Trek and NASA go back a long way. Mae Jemison, the first black female astronaut, credits Star Trek character Nyota Uhura as her inspiration to join NASA, and went on to have a walk-on role in Star Trek: The Next Generation. Just this year, a crowdfunded NASA trailer will be be shown before screenings of Star Trek Into Darkness, following a popular Indiegogo campaign

There's a pretty big overlap between space geeks and science fiction fans, and NASA is clearly happy to cater to both audiences. Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield has done much to boost the popularity of current NASA missions, mostly through his gleefully enthusiastic Twitter feed (including chatting to Star Trek alums Wil Wheaton and William Shatner), which he updates from the International Space Station. Read more...