Robert Picardo ('The Doctor') is a member of the society's Advisory Council and has signed the delcaration, saying, "Although the recent tragedy envelops us all, to falter in our commitment to the future of human and robotic exploration of space is a disservice to the dedicated men and women who serve us as architects of our future."

Nichelle Nichols has also voiced her support for the endeavor, and offers these words at her web site, Uhura.com: "We are called once again as our history has called us before to reconfirm our commitment that these brave and brilliant souls shall not have died in vain. We must now stand united and demand that the dream become a reality. To do less would be an insult to our heroes, the Astronaut Corp, and to this great nation."

According to the official STAR TREK web site, other TREK personalities who have joined the declaration include ENTERPRISE writer Andre Bormanis, TREK scenic art supervisor Mike Okuda and former illustrator Rick Sternbach. The declaration will be presented to NASA after collecting more supporters.

Read more of the original StarTrek.com report here.