If you're planning to attend the James Doohan memorial activities in New Mexico this weekend, hopefully you've already RSVP'd with Space Services Inc. and have made your transportation and lodging arrangements. But there are a few last-minute details you should know about.

To quickly recap, Doohan will be memorialized by having a portion of his cremated remains shot into space. Original Series writer/director/producer John Meredyth Lucas and astronaut Gordon Cooper are also part of the same launch, dubbed the Legacy Flight. A public memorial service will take place in Alamagordo on Friday, April 27, and the launch will occur Saturday the 28th at Spaceport America north of Las Cruces. See this 03.28.07 article and this 04.11.07 article to review the information.

If you did not reserve a spot in the VIP viewing area for Saturday's launch — intending rather to watch from a free public viewing location — the local authorities have issued a statement regarding that location:

"Sierra County to Establish Checkpoints in Engle Cutter Area for April 28 Launch

"Representatives from the Sierra County Sheriff's Department and the New Mexico State Police will be establishing checkpoints along State Road 51 beginning at Divided Wells turn-off to Engle and south along County Road A013 on April 28th, 2007. The checkpoints will be in effect beginning at 5:00 am on the morning of April 28th. The purpose of the checkpoints will be to maintain the steady and unobstructed flow of increased traffic which is expected in the area due to a scheduled launch at the Spaceport America facility. Though this event is not officially open to the public, the Sierra County Sheriff's Department recognizes the public interest which the event may generate and has established a viewing area for the public along State Road 51 between Divided Wells and Engle. Officials will be on hand at each checkpoint to ensure that those in attendance arrive at their assigned destinations. Law Enforcement Officials would like to remind those planning to attend the event to please drive safe and set an example for future visitors to follow."

Got that? Take State Road 51 east out of Truth or Consequences, NM, about 15 miles to Engle (allow at least half an hour—the road isn't great), then turn south on AO13. Be sure to consult your favorite map program. And hopefully once you get there you can tell where to park and where to look.

The launch window starts at 8:30 a.m. and extends through 2:30 p.m. local time, during which the countdown may begin at any time. Remember you'll be out in the desert for up to six hours, so dress accordingly and bring food and water. And bring binoculars!! Or if you're using a camera, bring your best telephoto lens. (See this UP Aerospace video to get an idea what the launch will look like.) Also keep in mind that cellphone reception will be spotty at best.

The New Mexico Museum of Space History in Alamagordo — where the Friday memorial will take place — may provide a second option. Contingent upon approval and technical considerations, the museum hopes to provide a live feed on television monitors. That will likely be a more comfortable option, and you'll also probably get a better view, though it won't be in person. If that option becomes available, the museum will open at 8 a.m. on Saturday. Admission is $3 for adults, less for children and seniors. Check back to this page for updates, or inquire at the museum on Friday.

If for some reason the launch is scrubbed on Saturday, all launch day activities will recycle at the same times and locations on Sunday the 29th. A rocket launch is a tricky proposition, so be prepared for any possible outcome.

But however the launch plays out, the public memorial service on Friday is a sure thing, and should be quite an event. It will take place outdoors, in the upper parking lot of the space museum, from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. Parking will be available at the Tays Special Events Center, directly across from the entrance to the museum. Shuttle transportation to the memorial site will be available.

Inside the museum there will be special displays in tribute to Doohan — including rare photos and a number of Star Trek artifacts — and to Cooper — including a mock-up Mercury capsule. You should plan to arrive a couple of hours early to tour the facility. As mentioned before, there is an admission fee to get inside: $3 for adults, $2.75 for seniors, $2.50 for kids 4-12, and free for children 3 and under. Active-duty and retired military personnel get in free with ID (see press release on page 2). The memorial itself is free of charge.

The memorial service will pay tribute to all 202 participants in the Legacy Flight, but special presentations will be made on behalf of Doohan and Cooper. It will begin with bagpipe playing, and speakers will include Marc B. Lee, a popular Trek convention emcee, and our own Sandy Stone, who will make a presentation to Doohan's widow, Wende. The climax of the service will be a military jet flyover — a "Missing Man" formation — to honor Cooper.

If you made a VIP reservation, you will need to register with Space Services (aka Celestis) at the Marriott TownePlace Suites Hotel in Las Cruces (2143 Telshor Court, 88011). Registration is scheduled for Thursday afternoon, but will be available Friday as well. You will get a company-issued participant's badge, plus a package of information including maps. If you haven't yet paid your bus transportation fees, you will have to do so then. Aside from attending the launch at the VIP area on Saturday, you may also join pre-launch bus tours of the Spaceport on Friday morning.

Again, check the Itinerary link at the top of this page for updates and important information, including where to go to board buses to the Spaceport (the location is different between Friday and Saturday).

And if you don't make it in person, we plan to provide full coverage of the weekend's events, so stay tuned in!

Page 2: Press Release from New Mexico Museum of Space History