There is no Star Trek in space. Here, you can see for yourself.

In response to a FOIA request from last year, NASA released their list of media items maintained aboard the International Space Station for the crew's "recreational/off-duty consumption." Many books are listed, with authors varying from Anthony to Dostoevsky, and some classic science fiction magazines. Somewhere is a Verne original, sent up on Columbus.

Many movies and television programs are also available, including most of the Lucasian space operas, those ridiculous Matrix movies, and staples of astronaut lore like "Apollo 13" and the soon to be historical "2010." It's a long list that takes several pages, impressively ranged in genre from drama to comedy, and suitably stocked to ease passage for ISS expeditioners for many months. In fact I'd be surprised if any astronaut could find enough free time to bore through a significant fraction of it.

Clearly now even in space the "local library" has so swollen through accretion that, like those on Earth, it's entire contents are now beyond assimilation by any single human mind. My understanding is that this point was reached for terrestrial humans late in the 18th century, a matter of centuries after invention of the printing press. Before that, it was in theory possible for a well-learned, industrious individual (William Godwin?) to read literally everything available that had been printed. Note that in contrast in space it only took less than a decade.

However, back on topic, among this rather lengthy list found in our orbiting library you will find not a single mention of Star Trek from any generation or film. Isn't that an interesting omission? It just can't be some subtle manifestation of distaste since many astronauts are enormous outspoken fans of the series in one form or another. Besides, they unequivocally endorse the idea of "boldly going" by the very risk they make their daily business. (And what about the pointed ears, for Peggy's sake!?)

So are we to believe our cosmic heroes just know the material sufficiently by heart? OK, they are geniuses and probably sufficiently warped. It might also be each expedition launches with reasonable expectation that a previous crew has already brought up "These Are The Voyages," and learns of the absence only upon their arrival. But it might also be their own experience exceeds even the best Trek adventure like the brilliance of the heavens outshines the confined flickering of a tiny monitor. Star Trek isn't something for them to watch. It's what they do.