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Nichelle Nichols' NASA 'Woman in Motion' doc boldly blasting off for 'Black History Month'

By Josh Weiss Jan 5, 2021, 2:34 PM ET

Credit: Fathom Events/Shout! Factory

A new documentary is boldly tacking one of actress Nichelle Nichols' greatest achievements. In addition to playing the iconic Lt. Nyota Uhura on the original Star Trek TV show, Nichols used her pop culture influence as a fictional space-farer to help pioneer a NASA recruitment program in the 1970s and '80s that hired the first astronauts who were women and persons of color.

Thanks to a partnership between Shout! Factory and Fathom Events, Woman in Motion: Nichelle Nichols, Star Trek and the Remaking of NASA premieres in U.S. theaters for one night only on Tuesday, Feb. 2, in honor of Black History Month.

Directed by Todd Thompson (The Highwaymen), the documentary features exclusive interviews with Neil deGrasse Tyson, George Takei, Pharrell Williams, Martin Luther King III, Al Sharpton, Vivica A. Fox, Walter Koenig, Rod Roddenberry, Michael Dorn, Guy Bluford, Charles Bolden, Ivor Dawson, Frederik Gregory, Benjamin Crump, and, of course, Nichols herself.

Watch the official trailer below:

The movie's title refers to the company Nichols founded (Women in Motion, Inc.) that brought over 8,000 African American, Asian, and Latino women to NASA. Thanks to the actress' work, the agency became one of the most diverse institutions of the U.S. federal government.

"We are thrilled that Woman in Motion will be getting its U.S. premiere and launching the Fathom Events Celebrates Black History Month series next month! This is a great American story with incredible global impact,” Thompson said in a statement. "Nichelle Nichols helped create the brighter future we are living in today by proclaiming that space exploration is for everyone. It's a simple but very strong statement that opens doors and allows all humankind to boldly go!"

“We are proud to bring pioneer and role model Nichelle Nichols’ inspiring story in cinemas across the nation," added Fathom CEO Ray Nutt. "It is an honor to have Woman in Motion as the debut film in the inaugural Fathom Events Celebrates Black History Month series.”