Woman in Motion: Documentary Film About Star Trek’s Nichelle Nichols Now Streaming on Paramount+

As announced during April’s First Contact Day celebration, Woman in Motion: Nichelle Nichols, Star Trek and the Remaking of NASA is now streaming on Paramount+. Directed by Todd Thompson, the film is a documentary chronicling the Star Trek star’s work on the NASA recruiting program. The program focused on hiring people of color and the first female astronauts in the space agency’s history during the late 1970s and 1980s. In addition to Nichols, Woman in Motion features interviews and appearances by Neil deGrasse Tyson, George Takei, Pharrell Williams, Martin Luther King III, Al Sharpton, Vivica A. Fox, Water Koenig, Rod Roddenberry, Michael Dorn, Guy Bluford, Charles Bolden, Ivor Dawson, Frederik Gregory, and Benjamin Crump. Here’s the film’s official synopsis:

“Woman in Motion chronicles how Nichols transformed her sci-fi television stardom into a real-life science career when, in 1977, she embarked on a campaign to bring diversity to NASA. Nichols formed the company Women In Motion, Inc. and recruited more than 8,000 African American, Asian and Latino women and men for the agency. Nichols and her program continue to influence the younger generation of astronauts as well, including Mae Jemison, the first female African American astronaut in space. Despite an uphill battle against a bureaucracy that was hesitant to let her get involved, Nichols persevered and is credited by NASA for turning it into one of the most diverse independent agencies in the United States Federal Government.”

Nichols is best known for playing Lt. Nyota Uhura of the Starship Enterprise in all three seasons of Star Trek: The Original Series. She reprised the role in all six Star Trek movies featuring the Star Trek: The Original Series cast.

Paramount+, ViacomCBS’s new streaming platform, launched in early March, replacing predecessor CBS All Access following the Viacom and CBS merger. The streaming service is now the home of the Star Trek franchise, featuring every episode of Star Trek television ever releases. It will also be the home of upcoming episodes of Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Picard, Star Trek: Lower Decks, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and Star Trek: Prodigy.

Are you excited about Woman in Motion: Nichelle Nichols, Star Trek and the Remaking of NASA debuting on Paramount+? Let us know how you feel in the comments section.

Woman in Motion: Nichelle Nichols, Star Trek and the Remaking of NASA is streaming now on Paramount+. You can see Nichols as Lt. Uhura in Star Trek: The Original Series, also streaming now on Paramount+.