Happy First Contact Day April 5, 2021

Stop me if you’ve heard this one. On April 5th, 2063 a man named Zefram Cochrane will perform his inaugural test flight of a spaceship he called The Phoenix, the first human spacecraft capable of traveling faster than light. Dr. Cochrane had figured out a revolutionary new method of propulsion called Warp Drive, and was able to construct a spacecraft equipped with it after re-appropriating a nuclear missile left abandoned ten years after the Third World War.

During his space flight, an alien race known as the Vulcans happened to be passing through our Solar System during a routine survey mission. They had no interest in Earth, as we were deemed too primitive at the time. However, when Dr Cochrane’s warp flight was detected by the Vulcan survey ship’s sensors, the Vulcans decide to alter their plans, and land on earth. The human population unites in a way never imagined when they realized were not alone in the universe. Poverty, disease and war were eliminated within fifty years.

At least, that’s according to what I heard on Star Trek.

Today is April 5th, and to celebrate the date, the official Star Trek website will be hosting a virtual live stream with multiple panels starting at 3PM Eastern. They’re going to talk about Star Trek’s legacy and some new projects including the upcoming animated series Star Trek Prodigy. Patrick Stewart, Kate Mulgrew, Brent Spiner and Alice Krige are expected to appear. I’m really interested in checking this event out so I’ll be tuning in.