This is the new 'We Are the Explorers' Video You'll See at 'Star Trek: Into Darkness"

By Nancy Atkinson - May 17, 2013 07:05 PM UTC | Site News

Have you seen

Star Trek: Into Darkness

yet? If so, did you see the NASA-themed trailer, too? A crowd-funded 30-second video called "We Are the Explorers" is debuting at theaters this week, shown before the new Trek film begins. It highlights America's future in space and is narrated by actor Peter Cullen, the voice of head Transformer Optimus Prime.

The 30-second spot was inspired by the original "We Are The Explorers" video (watch below) NASA put out last year, and the Aerospace Industries Association partnered with the Challenger Center for Space Science Education for a

IndieGoGo funding drive

to run the trailer ahead of the movie on 400 screens in more than 50 cities nationwide, including major markets in New York, Los Angeles and Washington. They raised nearly $53,000 from more than 1,700 people; they would have needed $94,000 in order to have it shown at every theater in the US.

"With the end of the Space Shuttle program, there seemed to be a widespread misperception in the media that the U.S. human spaceflight program was over," AIA President and CEO Marion C. Blakey said in a statement. "Nothing could be further from the truth. And young people contemplating their future need to know that there are many exciting career opportunities in aerospace."

The original:

Nancy Atkinson

Nancy Atkinson

Nancy Atkinson is a space journalist and author with a passion for telling the stories of people involved in space exploration and astronomy. She is currently retired from daily writing, but worked at Universe Today for 20 years as a writer and editor. She also contributed articles to The Planetary Society, Ad Astra (National Space Society), New Scientist and many other online outlets.

Her 2019 book, "Eight Years to the Moon: The History of the Apollo Missions,” shares the untold stories of engineers and scientists who worked behind the scenes to make the Apollo program so successful, despite the daunting odds against it. Her first book “Incredible Stories From Space: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Missions Changing Our View of the Cosmos” (2016) tells the stories of 37 scientists and engineers that work on several current NASA robotic missions to explore the solar system and beyond.

Nancy is also a NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador, and through this program, she has the opportunity to share her passion of space and astronomy with children and adults through presentations and programs. Nancy's personal website is nancyatkinson.com