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EXCLUSIVE: Manu Intiraymi Talks ‘Voyager’, The Convention Scene, The Circuit

TrekNews.net recently caught up with Manu Intiraymi (“Icheb” from Star Trek: Voyager ) to talk about his time on the show, life after Voyager , and his unique, multi-genre fan-focused Kickstarter project, The Circuit .

Intiraymi came onto Voyager in 2000 as “Icheb,” the young man who had been a Borg drone before joining the Voyager crew. A novice, 22-year-old actor at that point, Intiraymi related the story of how he landed the role.

“I was cast on Voyager by a man named Ron Sterma, and Ron gave me my first job ever on a movie called Senseless with David Spade and Marlon Wayne in 1998,” said Intiraymi. “I was working with them and it was my first job. I was nervous, because I wasn’t from Los Angeles. I was from out of town. I was blown away by the spectacle of a movie production. Suddenly I’m working with two famous people. This was the real deal. I did so many takes that I remember the director started yelling to nobody on set in particular, ‘This horrible actor, what’s this guy’s problem?’ The director grabbed me by the shoulders and got in my face. It was just a horrible day. But that got back to Ron, that I was terrible, so two years later I’m auditioning for Voyager and my agent and Ron are getting a pedicure together, and my agent tells Ron that I’m auditioning for Voyager . Ron says, ‘Oh not that guy, he was awful! We can’t hire him.’ My agent got mad and yelled at him, and the lady who was doing his pedicure cut his foot, so he used that and said, ‘Ron, I cut my foot, you are going to see my client. I’m bleeding for my client! You are going to at least read him.’ And so they brought me in and I read.”

Intiraymi as Icheb on ‘Voyager’

Even though Intiraymi landed the audition, he still had a long way to go before he would become a recurring character. As it turned out, Icheb was one of five young Borg that joined the Voyager crew at the same time, so the task of sticking with the cast meant Intiraymi needed to prove his ability to the cast and crew.

“At the time, I was auditioning for a character called ‘First,’ the character that was the bad Borg, but I didn’t get the part. But the production crew said they wanted me to play another character, a second Borg,” said Intiraymi. “I was bummed out about it, you know? I wanted to play the bad guy. The bad guy ended up dying and the other Borg ended up staying on ship.

“I don’t know if this is the truth, but I don’t know if they had a plan in set, I don’t know how far ahead they were. All of a sudden, they had five Borg kids on the ship, so what were they going to do with these five kids? I don’t know if they knew. As the episodes went by, after the fourth episode, they found a home for the other kids, and they kept me on board. That felt like a test episode, to see if they would keep my character or not. I think they were testing to see if I could carry an episode. I remember Brannon Braga coming down to the set and shaking my hand and saying, ‘Hey, you’re doing good work on the show, I like having you around.'”

Intiraymi with Jeri Ryan on ‘Voyager’

The episode Intiraymi is referencing is the season six installment called “Child’s Play,” where Icheb returns to his home planet and his parents after being assimilated by the Borg, and subsequently severed by the Voyager crew. This episode is only one of 11 in which Intiraymi would guest star.

Like most actors appearing on Star Trek , a substantial amount of research was needed to become in touch with the lore, characters, and themes that began with the Original Series in 1966. Intiraymi was no exception, and while he had a little exposure to the franchise beforehand, he found a thorough review of previous material was needed.

“I was a fan of the films, but I didn’t watch the shows. I wasn’t up on The Next Generation or Deep Space Nine , but I had watched First Contact and Generations , so I was a Star Trek film fan,” said Intiraymi. “When I got the role, I did a lot of studying, and a lot of watching previous episodes and I got the idea of who everybody on board was. I knew I was going to be working a lot with Robert Picardo (“The Doctor”), and I knew I would work with that hot Borg lady (“Seven of Nine,” as played by Jeri Ryan). That was pretty exciting! Jeri turned out to be just one of the coolest, funniest people to work with.”

Oftentimes, actors coming into a series late into its run aren’t always welcomed on set. Being the “new guy,” additions to a cast have to prove they deserve to work on a show where many people have dedicated much of the previous years. The Voyager cast, however, proved to be more welcoming.

“That was the neatest part about the whole experience. A lot of times, when you come onto a new show as the new guy, the cast sort of treats you on the outs for a while. You have to earn your stripes,” said Intiraymi. “On Voyager , I was immediately welcomed. Everybody was really kind, and they were like, ‘hey new kid, what’s up? You want to run the scene? Can we help you?’ It was a team atmosphere, and it was beautiful. I really haven’t seen it since.”

Soon enough, Icheb proved to be a legitimate Voyager crewmember, and Intiraymi began working with the likes of Kate Mulgrew (“Captain Janeway”), Robert Picardo, and Jeri Ryan. Working with such veteran actors, Intiraymi had his work cut out for him. However, it turned out that, at least in one instance, Intiraymi was able to inject a newfound energy into the aging show and its cast.

“Something happened to me early on that gave me confidence. I found all these actors to be really talented people. I worked with Kate and Jeri and Robert more than anybody else. They were just so good at what they did that I just stole as much as I could from them,” recalled Intiraymi. “I remember maybe four or five episodes in, Robert Picardo pulled me aside and he said, ‘You know, you are one good young actor, you know it? Every once in a while, one of you guest stars comes along and wakes the rest of us up. It makes us glad to be here again. You woke this cast up.’ He gave a pat on the back and walked off. That was so cool.”

Unsurprisingly, Star Trek become a daily occurrence for Intiraymi after Voyager wrapped in 2001. Especially as a regular on the convention circuit, Intiraymi has experienced the best of Star Trek fandom, in addition to working with many cast members from each Star Trek series.

“The neatest thing about the Star Trek experience was when I found myself sitting on stage on the 50 th anniversary of Star Trek, ” related Intiraymi. “On my right is Nichelle Nichols (“Uhura” from The Original Series) , on my left is Walter Koenig ( TOS ‘s “Chekov”), and after Walter was Jonathan Frakes ( TNG ‘s “Riker”). Then all the way to my right was Rod Roddenberry (son of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry). It was a magical experience. The audience was asking kick-ass questions and they were giving us all this love. For me, this is from work I did 15 years ago. There’s still all this outpouring of love. It is touching. It just floors you on a regular basis. Sometimes, somebody says something that affects your heart, and just really beautiful things happen because of Star Trek and the convention scene. Star Trek is a gift that keeps on giving. The second year of Voyager , I started on the convention circuit and went to Italy and Rome and all over the world, meeting different fans and cultures. Star Trek really gives you that opportunity to go and meet other cultures. It is a magic thing that men and women have come together and created these shows.”

Intiraymi’s work on Star Trek and his experience on the convention circuit has lead him to a passion project, which is currently in the funding phase on Kickstarter. The project, a multi-genre anthology film called The Circuit , is an attempt at a type of film that has never been done before.  Ten separate stories constitute the film’s plot, and each story is based on either an actor’s or a fan’s experience at a convention. On screen, the film stars several Star Trek alumni, including Deep Space Nine veterans Armin Shimerman (“Quark”), Terry Farrell (“Dax”), J.G. Hertzler (“Martok”), and Hana Hatae (“Molly O’Brien”), as well as Voyager alumni Robert Beltran (“Chakotay”), Robert Picardo, Ethan Phillips (“Neelix”), and Tim Russ (“Tuvok”), among both other science fiction actors and other Star Trek actors.

“ The Circuit is 15 years of stories gathered together that I had to tell, mixed with genre television,” said Intiraymi. “I love genre television and I don’t think there’s enough anthology productions. There’s a new show called Black Mirror that is a sci-fi based anthology series, so I thought the perfect mix would be Galaxy Quest meets The Twilight Zone , and then sprinkle in some real truth and real events in there. The audience would have to question how much of this is true.”

The Circuit is a tribute to the fans who have attended convention events over the last 50 years. Thus, it only made sense for the fans to be involved in the creation of the anthology movie. Instead of a cameo role or subtle mention, Intiraymi decided to allow fans to submit scripts for the anthology movie, or even possibly join the production crew. This idea dawned on him in the midst of an actual convention.

“I was standing on stage and I was looking out at the audience. I started making eye contact with the 7,500 people that were there, people that I had shared genuine experiences with. I knew their story, and their stories were interesting and it just dawned on me that it was super important to include the fans. So when we got the project together, we immediately decided to open the writing process to whomever wanted to submit a script.”

Fans who are interested in submitting a screenplay can visit thecircuitfilm.com and follow the directions for submitting their ideas. If you donate to the project’s Kickstarter , you can also send a letter to Intiraymi at [email protected] for a chance to become part of the production team. The film’s producers will choose one fan to join each department on the movie, meaning a few lucky fans can work in the makeup and wardrobe department, or assist the camera operators as they film the movie.

The film already includes crew from many professional projects, including Beowolf , Iron Man , Hellboy , Starship Troopers , and Arrow , as well as Star Trek projects For the Love of Spock and Renegades .

“We really want this to be the most fan-collaborative project anyone has ever done,” said Intiraymi. “I’m really excited and looking forward to see what happens. Hopefully the fans are as excited about the film as we are.”

Fans can donate anywhere from $5 to $10,000, and the project has until October 31 to meet its $200,000 goal. This goal will allow Intiraymi and his team to produce the first story of the anthology, and the team’s ultimate goal of $1.5 million would assure the entire 10-part anthology can be produced. Assuming the original $200,000 goal is met, the first installment of The Circuit is scheduled to arrive in Spring 2017.

Kyle Hadyniak has been a lifelong Star Trek fan, and isn't ashamed to admit that Star Trek V: The Final Frontier and Star Trek: Nemesis are his favorite Star Trek movies. You can follow Kyle on Twitter @khady93 .

August 22, 2019 at 8:31 pm

cool guy. he commented on my fan art several times.

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Star Trek: Who Is Icheb?

Icheb's Star Trek journey embodies themes of individuality, human spirit, and redemption.

The story of Icheb in the Star Trek universe symbolizes the franchise's fundamental themes: the quest for individuality, the unwavering strength of the human spirit, and the potential for redemption. His life story, from its inception to its poignant conclusion, stands as a testament to the enduring essence of Gene Rodenberry's creation.

Icheb's journey in Star Trek started as a young Brunali child, born to Yifay and Leucon. He inherited his name from his father, whose middle name was Icheb. His early years were marked by carefree play and dreams of venturing into the unknown cosmos. Yet, the tranquility of his childhood was disrupted when the Borg Collective descended upon his home planet.

RELATED: Star Trek: Important Moments In The Borg's History

In the Star Trek: Voyager episode "Collective," viewers are confronted with the harrowing sight of Icheb's ruthless assimilation, a traumatic ordeal that befell him when he was barely a teenager. This event marked the commencement of his arduous journey as a Borg drone.

Assimilation, Liberation, and Redemption

Once assimilated, Icheb's identity was forcibly stripped away as he became just another drone, connected to the hive mind of the Borg . His experiences as a drone were chronicled in various Voyager episodes, shedding light on the dehumanizing effects of assimilation. Despite the Borg's attempts to eradicate his individuality, Icheb retained traces of his former self, a spark of hope that would eventually lead to his liberation.

Icheb's turning point came when he was rescued by the Voyager crew in the episode "Imperfection." It was here that Icheb's journey towards reclaiming his soul began. Under the guidance of Seven of Nine, another former Borg drone who had found her way back to humanity, Icheb started the challenging process of rediscovering his individuality.

One of Icheb's most significant moments on Voyager occurred in "Child's Play," where he bravely stood up against his own parents, who had betrayed him and the Voyager crew. This act showcased his growth and determination to define his own path, even in the face of betrayal.

Icheb's journey towards redemption was also intertwined with the crew's efforts to return to the Alpha Quadrant . In "Endgame," the series finale of Star Trek: Voyager , Icheb played a crucial role in their plan to return home. His willingness to sacrifice himself for the greater good and the crew's mission demonstrated his newfound sense of purpose and commitment to his newfound family on Voyager.

Post-Voyager Life

After Voyager's return to the Alpha Quadrant, Icheb's journey did not end. He embarked on a life of service and self-discovery. He joined Starfleet Academy and began training to become an officer. This decision reflected his commitment to the principles of exploration and cooperation that Starfleet represented.

Icheb's character continued to evolve in Star Trek: Picard , where he made a surprise appearance in "Stardust City Rag." In this episode, it was revealed that Icheb had become an informant for Starfleet in the wake of the Romulan supernova crisis . This reveal highlighted his dedication to the greater good and his willingness to put his life on the line for the safety of others.

A Tragic End

Tragically, Icheb's journey took a heart-wrenching turn in "Stardust City Rag." In a cruel twist of fate, he fell into the clutches of heartless criminals who sought to exploit his Borg implants for their own gain. This horrific ordeal subjected Icheb to unbearable pain and suffering.

Despite the agony he endured, Icheb's indomitable spirit and determination shone through one last time. In a moment of incredible strength, he managed to convey crucial information to Seven of Nine before his injuries overwhelmed him.

As Icheb lay mortally wounded, tormented by excruciating pain, he made a plea to Seven. With immense compassion, she held him close and, at his request, brought an end to his suffering by using her phaser at point-blank range. In those solemn moments, she whispered, "I'm so sorry... my child," a heartbreaking farewell that underscored the deep bond between them.

Icheb's death was a devastating moment for Star Trek fans. It marked the loss of a character who had grown from a traumatized Borg drone into a symbol of hope and redemption. His sacrifice, though tragic, served as a reminder of the enduring values of Star Trek , where individuals can find redemption and meaning even in the darkest of circumstances.

Icheb's Legacy

Icheb's journey from a frightened young boy to a courageous hero is a testament to Star Trek 's enduring themes of hope, resilience, and the indomitable spirit of the individual. His character arc, spanning multiple series and episodes, remains a striking example of the transformative power of self-discovery and the capacity for redemption, even in the face of the most daunting challenges.

As Star Trek continues to explore new frontiers and tell captivating stories, Icheb's legacy stands out. It serves as a reminder that, in the end, it is humanity’s (or any sentient species') individuality, ability to grow, and capacity for selflessness that define us as true heroes.

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Interview: Manu Intiraymi On ‘The Circuit,’ and Life as Icheb on the Set of ‘Star Trek: Voyager’

| May 20, 2017 | By: Anthony Pascale 8 comments so far

Since his time playing the former Borg drone Icheb during the last two seasons of Star Trek: Voyager , Manu Intiraymi has stayed active with acting roles, but in the last few years he has also turned to producing. His latest project is The Circuit, for which he’s currently seeking crowdfunding for a pilot via Kickstarter . His bigger plan is to eventually make a 10-episode season telling different stories with different sub-genres, along the lines of Black Mirror , The Twilight Zone and Amazing Stories . Star Trek luminaries attached to  The Circuit  include Walter Koenig (TOS), Terry Farrell (DS9), Armin Shimerman (DS9), Ethan Phillips (VOY), Robert Picardo (VOY) and Robert Beltran (who TrekMovie recently interviewed ). TrekMovie talked with Intiraymi about The Circuit and his time on Voyager .

Before we get to The Circuit , let’s start with your last project, the sci-fi horror film 5 th Passenger , which was also successfully crowdfunded.

5 th Passenger was about me being angry at crowdfunding in general. It was during the time of the Trek fan film debacles, but there were also a few other projects that didn’t come through on their promises and there were a couple of court cases beyond the Trek stuff and I remember being pissed about all of that. I got together with my buddy Scotty Baker who had written this sci-fi script that took place in a small escape pod that has blown off this mega-ship, and most of the film takes place on the pod. And we had wanted to make it for about five years and talking about how to get it done, then finally Scotty found these sets from Marc Zicree’s Space Command film that were still up and he said “we could shoot here if we raised the money in four months, could we do that?” There were space hallways and a bridge and a sort of sick-bay looking set, which would save us around $150,000. So I got Tim Russ to come on board and Marina Sirtis and Doug Jones to come on board and later Armin Shimerman.

We decided to crowdfund and raised close to $75,000, and then did another for post-production for a total of about $100,000, but god bless our producer Morgan Loriah who was able to match those funds many times over, and we were able to make a beautiful film that the fans sparked. I am really gassed for people to see it. We are five weeks away from submitting it for the first screening in Toronto a couple of months from now. I think we will sell it right away. We have already talked to Syfy and we’ve got meetings with Lionsgate and we made a really, really strong film. I think the fans are going to be blown away.

So essentially the same team moved from 5 th Passenger to The Circuit ?

Yeah. The unit production manager, the director, the camera guys, the director of photography and a bunch of the same team came over. I also teamed up with these guys who made this World War II movie I was in called Fortress and their digital effects team Radical 3D. These guys worked on Iron Man and Planes and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow and Arrow . I also teamed up with James Bird who directed a film called Honeyglue , which people should really see. It is the essence of what The Circuit is really about. It’s about bringing heart back to science fiction instead of lasers and robots and explosions. And also Ryan Eggold, who just directed his first big budget film [ Literally, Right Before Aaron ] with myself and Justin Long and John Cho in it. So he came on board to direct, so we have a really talented crew from three different projects to create this sort of anthology series.

You have already passed your initial goal to fund The Circuit pilot and the campaign ends on Monday so you will be making something for sure right? And do you know which actors would be in that pilot?

No doubt we are going to make something. The question is whether we can get to the level where we can get matched funds to make a mini-series off the bat or whether we are just going to start with the pilot and give the Kickstarter people what we promised. We would probably start shooting in September regardless. We have got six screenplays already and there are two I am juggling right now to decide which to do first, but Walter Koenig is definitely going to be in the first one and Robert Beltran. There are about eight of us who are almost sure to be in the pilot.

So what is the stretch goal for this final weekend?

The plan for this weekend is to run what we are calling “ The Circuit Challenge .” We have been on the phone with sci-fi fan groups from around the world and fan clubs from every one of our actors from Star Trek , Star Wars , Buffy , Stargate , Lost Girl , The Wonder Years and more. We are trying to get the entire sci-fi community to tune into a 24-hour live show we are doing on Facebook Live on Saturday. A bunch of our actors are going to come on and talk to the fans. There are going to be new trailers. Hundreds of fans have sent in video to tell us why they believe in The Circuit . They have really touched my heart deeply, seeing these videos.

So whether we just shoot a pilot, or if we can pull off some kind of miracle this weekend and get to $150k which would get us to episode two, and with $200k we get matched funds and get a couple of A-list actors who are interested and make this into a major multi-million dollar project and that is the real stretch. The ultimate dream for this show is to be the Game of Thrones of sci-fi anthology for someone like HBO or Amazon or Netflix or somebody who could spend the millions on each episode and keep the fans involved in it.

How will fans be involved?

We have always said this is going to be collaboration with the fan base and professional filmmakers and celebrities. I’ve spent 17 years going to conventions to keep the bills paid when I am not acting or producing and I meet so many creative people making props and kick-ass makeup artists and costume makers and guys doing 3D modeling. Like Tobias Richter from Germany who has this small studio and he is making amazing visual effects out of there and so he did our effects for 5 th Passenger and I met him at FedCon. There are so many people in the community that want to be in movies and TV and they could be.

So if you want to be involved in The Circuit , then plug into The Circuit . Write me at [email protected] and tell my why and how you want to be involved and show me what you do. At the end of the Kickstarter campaign we are going to pick five fans that are amateurs who are passionate and want to learn something and we are also going to pick five fans that have some talents they can offer.

The simple description for The Circuit is it an anthology series of standalone episodes like Amazing Stories or Black Mirror , with a new cast for each episode. But there is a connecting storyline as well?

In all ten of the planned standalone episode there are references to something called “the circuit,” and what it is and how it affects people’s lives. It is something that exists within the future city of Urbiessa where all the episodes are set. We learn a little bit more about what this thing is and what it does through each episode. So it is a story beneath the story. But as you say they are all ten standalone stories. They are all sci-fi, but they are each in a different sub-genre of sci-fi. The interesting thing is to look at the same world, but through a different twist in genre in each episode.

The city of Urbiessa, the setting for The Circuit

Mentoring and love on the set of Voyager

Let’s go back to the dawn of the century when you started your run on Star Trek: Voyager . At the time they had already made literally hundreds of episodes of Star Trek so they had the production end of it pretty nailed down. Was that a learning experience for your later interest in producing?

Not really. I wasn’t intelligent enough. I was just 21-year-old. I was focused just on acting, but it was certainly an acting workshop for sure. Of course because it was my first and longest gig, you learn how to cover a scene and to block and light. You can’t help but pick these things up if you have any sort of interest in how TV and movies are made. But I was very focused on giving a good performance to keep my job, so acting was the priority.

You say it was an acting workshop. Were there specific actors, directors or producers who were particularly influential or helpful?

All of them. There were a lot of things that were so cool about being on Voyager but especially this. A lot of times when you come on to a show as a guest star or a recurring character, the cast will treat you like “oh, you might take time away from me.” This has happened to me. You are only going to be there for a couple of weeks so they don’t even talk to you. It is this competitive actor weirdness and it sucks. On Voyager there wasn’t anyone on that cast who didn’t take care of me. Plus I was a kid, I was 20 or 21, and I was playing a character that was probably more like 17 or 18, and so they all took really good care of me.

I remember in my first episode “ Collective ” I knew about the Borg and had watched First Contact and all the films but not all of the series. I was a fan of Star Trek but I didn’t know all the little things the Borg did and there was this scene where I needed to talk to the collective. And you know there is this thing the Borg do when they talk to the collective where they tilt their head to the left and do that ‘tune into the collective’ thing. I had no idea about that so when that part came up I remember Bobby [Duncan McNeill] said “this is what the Borg do” and he showed me. They were always mentoring.

Jeri [Ryan] and I got along really well. She was an incredible actor. A lot of my scenes were with her and with Kate [Mulgrew]. That was where the main Icheb character scenes were between the Captain, and Seven and the Doctor. And [Robert] Picardo (The Doctor), around the fifth episode in, when we were doing “ Imperfection ,” I put my heart and my soul into that episode. That episode was about sacrificing something for your family; what would you give up for your loved ones? For me when I see a good piece of television or a movie that rocks me and floors me and makes me feel connected to my fellow human beings, it is the biggest rush.

I knew when I read that episode it was going to have an effect on the world if I did my job so I put my heart into it. And I remember for that final scene where I am screaming at Seven and the Captain and the Doctor and I am going to do this. You are going to take this and try to save her and you don’t have a choice. “Isn’t that what people on this ship do? They help each other.” So after the scene I was huffing and puffing and crying and I had rehearsed my ass off and Robert Picardo took me aside and he said “well young man, every once in a while one of you recurring people come on and it is a pleasure to have you. You really wake us up. You have woken this cast up. You made us all remember why we are here. Thank you, young man.” And then he walked off and right now I am still getting emotional thinking about it. I was kid man, and Robert Picardo was like a stud to me. So getting that from him, I was like, “Oh my god, he thinks I can act.”

And I got that from the whole cast of Voyager . It was a family to me and there is no bullshit to that. There was a really loving energy on that set. The boys had a lot of fun but when the Captain came on set we stopped having so much fun. But not in a bad way, in a good way because we respected her. We would fart around a lot and waste the producers’ time, but when she came to set it was like, “Okay boys, time to work.” It was incredible. It was a great two years.

Manu Intiraymi with Jeri Ryan and Kate Mulgrew in Voyager’s “Imperfection”

Icheb: from Borg brat to complete character

You got there in the last two seasons. Was there an element where they were in a bit of a familiar pattern?  

Yeah, but that is why I say it was an actor’s clinic. They had played their characters for six years and I was coming on a recurring character that they were going to give episodes to that I had to hold as the A-story or B-story. So a lot of the episode counted on me and here were these guys and gals that knew their characters so well and could do their characters with their eyes closed. So all the time with the boys they would be off-camera trying to mess each other up – trying to keep each other’s game up. I had to come into that environment and trying to keep up and I was just tying to get my game on at the time.

So we had to find ways to have fun. You settle into a character. You don’t necessarily phone it in, but it gets easier and easier to do your scenes and to do your work. I didn’t really get to know who Icheb was until probably first third of season seven. They had had six years of that already. It was second nature to them by that time.

Did you know they would keep bringing you back?

I didn’t know Icheb was going to stick around. That is how they were really tricky. If you go back and watch, Icheb almost dies in about seven of the episodes he was in. Each time I would read the episode I would be like, “Oh, they are killing me off.” And then a couple weeks later they would call and that is how they kept me coming back every other episode and then almost kill me and then bring me back.

So you never knew after an episode if you were ever coming back?

Yeah, all the way to the final episode when I found out, “Cool, I’m in the final one and making it home with the ship.”

You talk about getting to know Icheb. He did have a bit of an arc. Were you satisfied with it, or was there more you would have liked to do?

I was definitely satisfied. They brought me in half way through season six. I thought “Collective” was a fun episode. We got these five kids on a ship and for some reason they were not fully Borg and suddenly they leave four of them on the ship and we already have Naomi Wildman on the ship so now you got five kids with Icheb as a young adult but still one of the kids and the writers didn’t know what to do with them.

I remember the first two or three episodes, Icheb was just a bratty kid. He was like, “No, I don’t want to have game time, I want to do what I want to do.” He was just kind of a brat and it was boring and there wasn’t much there and I remembered thinking I am going to be on this show for two years and they are just going to keep me around to be some kind of brat and rarely use me and that is not going to be fun. But then the episode “ Child’s Play ” where they found and sent me back to my parents and they sent me back to the Borg and Voyager rescued me. It was a very dark episode; I think one of the darkest episodes of Voyager . They looked at this question of whether it is okay to sacrifice your children to send them off to war as a sacrifice. It was a heavy episode.

I think it was a test from [executive producers] Brannon Braga and Rick Berman to see if I could handle the character and to see if the fans wanted to see more of this guy. And I remember a few days into shooting Braga came down to the set and he came up to me out of the blue and said, “I just wanted to shake your hand. You are doing great work on the show so thanks for coming on board.” And I knew then they were going to write for me and this kid was going to stick around and it was going to be fun and from that point on it was.

Of course you always want more – you want to be in every episode – but I was very satisfied. The one thing I never got to do that I wanted to do was a holodeck episode. Icheb was so straight-laced and so serious and I don’t think he cracked a smile except maybe once or twice. I would have liked to do a holodeck episode where he got to play somebody different. Someone with some personality or maybe a Fair Haven thing. I was asked but I was not on high up on the pecking order. But the long and short of it is I got to spend two years on a spaceship and getting beamed up and beamed down for a living. It was awesome and I enjoyed every minute of it. And to be there for that final episode, that was awesome.

Manu Intiraymi with Robert Picardo in Voyager’s “Child’s Play”

Saying goodbye to Voyager and hello to Discovery

What was the mood like for that last episode? Was it sad?

I wasn’t there on the last final day, but I am sure that was gnarly. I remember they were tearing down other sets while we were shooting so there was this weird feeling of finality that this was really it. But I also remember a real jovial sense of “We did it!” and now we were going to go do something else. I remember soaking it all in and saying goodbye to everybody. I never stole anything from Paramount but that day I ripped off my Icheb nose and eyepiece and shoved them in my pocket. And then I went and stood at the end of where both stages of the main ship are where you can see down where ‘ Planet Hell ’ is where they build the different sets and the Delta Flyer and where Astrometrics were. And it was like 11 o’clock and I knew it was going to be the last time I was going to see it all and sort of soaking it all in and being thankful for the experience.

You are a fan of sci-fi and Star Trek, so I assume you have seen the new trailer for Star Trek: Discovery . What did you think of it?

I did see it. What blows my mind is how some of the fanbase are quick to bash it. I was blown away by it. I don’t understand how you can get so opinionated about a hype trailer. It is supposed to be hype and sizzle and shots and fun and just a glimpse. But some of the comments I saw, I was like, “Wow guys.” One I saw said “worst captain ever” and I was like, “You just saw a trailer, man.” One thing I have never understood about this franchise I have been part of is how these die-hard fans who love the show are so quick to dismiss and bash and when it is off the air they are screaming for more.

I loved it. I thought it looked cool. I love Sonequa [Martin-Green], I love Doug Jones who is a friend of mine and I am really glad he is on the show. I loved the captain who was in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon [Michelle Yeoh], she was amazing. I was impressed. I know some see inconsistencies like with the Klingons. For me Star Trek has always had inconsistencies and it is always going to. Just watch the show and enjoy the show.

Here is what I hope – and this is what The Circuit is screaming about – is to bring back those conscientious and heartfelt episodes that make you feel and think about the important things in our culture that Star Trek used to do. I really hope they do a few of those each season. And if they do that I will be happy.

Manu Intiraymi in the Star Trek: Voyager finale “Endgame”

The Circuit

Manu Intiraymi is the executive producer of the sci-fi anthology series The Circuit , currently seeking funding via Kickstarter . They have already passed their initial goal of $50,000 but there are more stretch goals for more resources to make a pilot. The Kickstarter campaign closes on May 23rd. The video below featuring Star Trek’s Walter Koenig gives an introduction.

Read more TrekMovie interviews here.

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That was a lovely story about Robert Picardo. It’s nice to read pieces like this that confirm your favorable public perception of someone.

Manu sounds like an energized young man (sorry, I know he’s in his late 30s but he’s still way younger than me!) I will definitely check out his crowd funding pitch for The Circuit.

Gotta love his enthusiasm and I always love hearing stories from the set.

God, I hated the character of Icheb.

As Intiraymi himself says, the character started out as little more than a whiny brat. He turned into a rather interesting sidekick for Seven, though, and was the focus of at least two or three standout episodes the last 3 seasons.

“Imperfection” is a damned good episode, though. Voyager doesn’t always get the credit it deserves.

I always liked the episode where we find out Icheb is a weapon and that his people basically bred children to fight the Borg. Great acting from him in that episode too.

Great guy. Great project. I will support it.

I loved Manu really laying into the fans who are quick to bash Discovery for the sake of it. It’s about time somebody broke it down for the keyboard warriors!

Screen Rant

Star trek: picard kills off voyager's [spoiler].

A minor Star Trek: Voyager character met a disturbingly grisly end in "Stardust City Rag," the fifth episode of Star Trek Picard's inaugural season.

SPOILERS ahead for Star Trek: Picard's fifth episode, "Stardust City Rag."

A member of the Star Trek: Voyager crew met a grisly end in the latest episode of Star Trek: Picard , "Stardust City Rag," as the young ex-Borg Icheb was murdered. Introduced in Voyager  season 6, Icheb was one of a handful of adolescent Borg drones who were stranded alone on an otherwise dead Borg vessel, inaccurately believing the Borg collective would be looking for them. Realizing they had been left for dead, four of the five drones returned to Voyager where their individuality was restored.

Of the four former drones, Icheb was by far the most prominent, and became something of a foster child to Seven of Nine. Icheb was granted entry into Starfleet Academy once Voyager re-established partial communication with Starfleet Command, and seemed to have a bright future ahead of him. It turns out that future was pretty short-lived.

Related: Star Trek Gives A New Reason For Romulans To Hate Picard and Starfleet

A few years after Starfleet withdrew from their mission to save the Romulan Empire from an impending supernova, disparate forces came together in an effort to help the Romulans however they could. One of these groups was the Fenris Rangers, a group Seven eventually joined. During shore leave from the USS Coleman, Icheb worked with the Rangers and Seven, but little did either of them realize there was a mercenary in their midst. An arms dealer named Bejazal was secretly hunting down former Borg drones to harvest them for parts and then sell them on the galactic black market. Icheb was lured into a trap, and Bejazal's people slowly tore him apart while fully awake. By the time Seven arrived and dispatched Bejazal's associates, the damage had been done - Icheb was dying. Seven mercifully shot him through the heart, tearfully telling him she considered him her child.

Icheb's death is Seven's primary motivation throughout "Stardust City Rag." She manipulates Picard and his crew to get her to the pleasure hub Freecloud because she knows that's where she can find Bejazal. With Bejazal herself at the end of Seven's phaser, Picard does his best classic The Next Generation speech about how vengeance is not justice, how people like Seven have to be above settling scores through murder. Seven stands down and returns to the La Sirena with Picard, the latter believing he had helped the former find a better way. However, once Picard and his crew depart Freecloud, Seven returns to hunt down Bejazal. She wanted to help Picard preserve his sense of hope, but she wasn't leaving without exacting her revenge for what was essentially the death of her son. The last we see of Seven, she's wielding dual phasers as she blasts her way out of Freecloud.

Seven may have avenged Icheb, but her story isn't over yet. Fans know Seven will be returning later this season on Star Trek: Picard , but in what capacity remains to be seen. Will she have a change of heart and join Picard's crew now that she has no personal mission? Will she meet Hugh, the ex-Borg overseeing the artifact , who was essentially a trial run for her character? Fans will have to wait and see what the back half of Star Trek: Picard has in store for Seven of Nine, but this is definitely a farewell to poor Icheb.

Next: Star Trek: What Happened When Picard & Spock Met In The Next Generation

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Published Jan 27, 2011

Where Are They Now? Voyager's Manu Intiraymi

No one can forget Manu Intiraymi. Really, with a name like that, he’s pretty unforgettable. But he was also mighty impressive on Voyager , transforming Icheb – the former Borg / Brunali youth – into a memorable recurring role. Intiraymi is 32 years old now, still acting, and branching out into writing and producing as well. StarTrek.com recently caught up with Intiraymi for a conversation in which he looked back at his days on the U.S.S. Voyager and filled us in on his post- Star Trek life. Heading into your audition for Voyager , what did you know about Star Trek in general and Voyager specifically? Intiraymi: I probably saw the first TOS film with my parents (on video) and I saw the other ones as they came out when I was in my teens. I moved out to L.A. in 1996, so I’d probably seen everything up to Generations and First Contact before I did my Voyager audition. I’d seen a few Voyager episodes. I hadn’t seen any of Deep Space Nine . I actually hadn’t seen a lot of Next Generation . I wasn’t a huge fan, but it was a huge enough show that it was hard not to have seen it a couple of times. But I’d say I was probably an original-cast fan more than anything when I got the audition for Voyager . Before I did my audition, I was aware of Jeri Ryan , because they’d pitched the whole “super-hottie on the new Star Trek show” thing and that had reached my world. And I had a friend named Damien who was a big, big Voyager fan, so I’d caught a few episodes when I was at his house. The episode that stuck out in my mind when I actually went in to audition was the one with the invisible aliens on the ship, and they were all doing experiments on the crew. Finally, Seven did something to where she could suddenly see them. I remember watching that at Damien’s house and thinking, “Wow, this show is really cool.” That episode had kind of a Twilight Zone feel to it and it was very well written. What do you recall of the audition itself? In what ways did they guide you? And did they tell you it was for a role that could/would recur? Intiraymi: No, they didn’t tell me it would be a recurring role. I guess they must have known, right? But I went in for “ Collective ,” and I actually auditioned for First, the bad guy that got killed at the end of that episode. They brought me back, all the way to the producers, to Rick (Berman) and Brannon (Braga) and the director, who was Allison Liddi. I got the role and then, when my character didn’t die off, I got a call about a month later saying, “Hey, would you like to do another episode?” Then I got another call a couple of weeks after that and another call after that. That was season six, and when I was still getting called about episodes when season seven started, I figured, “Hey, I think I’m going to be on this show for a while.” You ended up appearing in 11 episodes and Icheb actually had a pretty full story arc. How pleased were you by the character’s evolution? Intiraymi: Ultra-pleased. No one’s going to say they wouldn’t want more, but I can’t be anything but humble for that whole experience. It was awesome. The first couple of episodes, I was a little bummed that Icheb was as whiny as he was and I was really hoping that they’d develop it into somebody who wasn’t just a cranky kid, and they immediately did so. It wasn’t like I said anything. It wasn’t my place, you know? But I was happy, man. Icheb was fun. Which episode stands out most for you? Intiraymi: Most of us who act or paint or write or make music think of ourselves as artists, and we all want to make a piece of art that affects people in a big way, that touches people in some way, shape or form, that makes them feel something. I’ve been in this business about 15 years and I’ve probably done 30 or 40 projects now, and not many of them can I say, “Wow, I know that that affected a lot of people.” I had that with one particular episode, “Imperfection,” where I gave my cortical node to Seven. It wasn’t that I felt it making the episode or that I even saw it watching the episode, but going around to the cons over the years a lot of people have told me that that episode affected them in an emotional way, that their brother or sister or mom was going through a kidney operation or a transplant of some kind, and something in “ Imperfection ” touched them. Any time someone tells me that, even now, it rocks me to the core because it’s why I do what I do. So, “Imperfection” is the episode I’m most proud of. I know it did what I want to do with my life. Most of your scenes on Voyager were with Jeri Ryan. How was your working relationship with her? Intiraymi: She was awesome. I was a young man and I was full of angst because she was such a hot chick, but I couldn’t flirt with her, of course, first of all because she’s 10 years older – though I don’t care about that – but also because she was dating Brannon (Braga). Luckily I figured that one out real quick and didn’t get fired for flirting with Jeri. I always make that joke, but really she was fun and has a great personality and kind of a contagious laugh. She’s a cool woman. So it was fun. Plus, she forced you to bring your best. That whole group was like that. There wasn’t a lot of ego, either. They were a bunch of consummate professionals and getting to work with them – Bob (Picardo), Kate (Mulgrew), Jeri – was like a dream. You’ve continued to work since you wrapped Voyager . What do you have going on now? Intiraymi: I’ve got a WWII film coming out later this year that I’m excited about. It’s called Fortress , and it’s about a plane called Lucky Lass, which flew 17 missions in WWII, from Africa over Italy, and it’s about the crew and the life of Irish-Americans flying those planes in WWII. I play the lead role of Charlie O’Hare, the medic and operator. So it’s a lot of bullets and blood and CGI. I did a romantic comedy recently that’s called Driving by Braille , which is with Ryan Eggold and Tammin Sursok and Steven Bauer, and that might make a splash. It’s a cute comedy for teens. And I did a short called Expired , which is just crazy, and no one’s seen me do anything like it before. It’ll be on the film festival circuit, so hopefully people will get a chance to see that. And I’ve also made a movie called Zah – A Pizza Movie , that I wrote and produced. We spent about $12,000 on it, and it’s a first movie, but I’m really, really proud of it. It was like my film school and hopefully it’ll lay the foundation for me to do more writing and producing and also directing. That’s the ultimate goal, to do it all. And if someone really wants to see Zah, they can go to [email protected], send $20 and their address, and we’ll ship ‘em a copy. I’ve got about 300 copies left.

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Manu Intiraymi

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• 2 wins & 2 nominations

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• 2000–2001 • 11 eps
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Personal details

• 5′ 11″ (1.80 m)
• April 22 , 1978
• Santa Cruz, California, USA
• Lynn Claire Topolinski
• 1 Interview
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• 1 Magazine Cover Photo

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• Trivia Intiraymi is the name of an Incan festival held annually in Peru in honour of the sun god Inti.

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A friendly reminder regarding spoilers ! At present the expanded Trek universe is in a period of major upheaval with the continuations of Discovery and Prodigy , the advent of new eras in gaming with the Star Trek Adventures RPG , Star Trek: Infinite and Star Trek Online , as well as other post-57th Anniversary publications such as the ongoing IDW Star Trek comic and spin-off Star Trek: Defiant . Therefore, please be courteous to other users who may not be aware of current developments by using the {{ spoiler }}, {{ spoilers }} OR {{ majorspoiler }} tags when adding new information from sources less than six months old (even if it is minor info). Also, please do not include details in the summary bar when editing pages and do not anticipate making additions relating to sources not yet in release. THANK YOU

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• 1.1 Early life
• 1.2 Return to Earth
• 1.3 Starfleet Academy
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• 1.5.1 Starfleet commission
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• 1.7 Alternate realities
• 2.1 Connections
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Biography [ ]

Early life [ ].

Icheb was born on the Brunali homeworld in the latter half of the 24th century . Prior to 2376, Icheb's people sacrificed him to the Borg , in order to halt the Collective's attacks on their world. In doing so, Icheb was assimilated, and became one with the Collective, and was immediately placed in a maturation chamber due to his immaturity.

Return to Earth [ ]

When the USS Voyager returned to the Alpha Quadrant in 2378 and a Borg nano-virus erupted on Earth , Icheb (along with Seven of Nine ) was taken into custody by Starfleet Security . During this time, he was prevented from regenerating normally and his Brunali physiology re-asserted itself. Shortly afterward, his remaining Borg implants were surgically removed, and he enrolled in Starfleet Academy . ( VOY novel : Homecoming )

Starfleet Academy [ ]

Icheb was admitted into Starfleet Academy a semester after Voyager' s return to Federation space.

Death at Vergessen [ ]

In 2386 , Icheb was kidnapped and taken to Vergessen , where a surgeon hired by Bjayzl harvested his Borg parts while he was still alive. Seven of Nine arrived on Vergessen, killed the surgeon but arrived too late to save Icheb. She euthanized Icheb, at his insistence. ( PIC episode : " Stardust City Rag ")

First Splinter timeline [ ]

In 2378, Icheb watched over Naomi Wildman as she herself began at the Academy. ( VOY novel : Unworthy )

Icheb was in his fourth and final year at the Academy by September 2381 . ( VOY novel : The Eternal Tide )

In late 2381 , Icheb was recruited by Chakotay to participate in a ritual known as Pacrathar through which Icheb, Chakotay, and Seven would be joined mentally. The ritual was intended to draw Seven out of a comatose-like state which she had entered following the trauma of the Caeliar absorption of the Borg into their gestalt and the death of her Aunt Irene Hansen . The ritual worked and Seven was rescued from the psychological break, thanking Icheb and asking him to watch over Naomi during Seven's absence from Earth. ( VOY novel : Unworthy )

Starfleet commission [ ]

Ensign Icheb in 2382 .

In 2382 , Fleet Admiral Leonard James Akaar promoted Icheb to the rank of Ensign and assigned him to the Project Full Circle fleet. ( VOY novel : Atonement )

Ensign Icheb served as personal assistant to fleet chief engineer B'Elanna Torres . When she became pregnant, he took over more of her responsibilities. Later that year, USS Vesta chief engineer Phinnegan Bryce requested to involve Icheb in a special engineering project. Commander Malcolm Roach was aware of the blossoming romance between Icheb and Bryce, but Lieutenant Bryce convinced his superior officer that the reasons to include Icheb were practical in nature. ( VOY novel : Architects of Infinity )

By 2385 , Icheb had been adopted by Annika Hansen and was continuing his course work at Starfleet Academy. ( STO website  : The Path to 2409 )

25th century [ ]

Icheb was mentioned in a letter from Commander Naomi Wildman, sent on stardate 85563.8 (July 25, 2408 ) to her mother Samantha Wildman . Naomi received command of Deep Space Station K-7 and noted she had confidence in her crew, which included Lieutenant Commander Icheb as first officer . ( STO novel : The Needs of the Many )

This letter was published, with Naomi and Samantha's consent, in Jake Sisko 's anthology The Needs of the Many in 2423 . ( STO novel : The Needs of the Many )

By 2409 , Icheb still held the rank of Lieutenant Commander and remained first officer of Deep Space Station K-7. ( STO mission : " Neutral Zone Diplomacy ")

Icheb in 2409

Alternate realities [ ]

Icheb in an alternate timeline

In an alternate timeline created when Chakotay traveled to the future due to his body being charged with chroniton particles, Icheb was still on Voyager , and had been given a commission as a Lieutenant Commander in the command division by 2394 . Icheb and Lieutenant Naomi Wildman helped Chakotay return to his own time. ( VOY episode : " Shattered ")

In a timeline affected by the Q Continuum 's temporal anomaly crisis , versions of that lieutenant commander, and of Icheb from 2377 , appeared in local space around 2380 and joined Starfleet to help resolve the crisis and related events. ( ST video game : Timelines )

Appendices [ ]

Connections [ ], appearances [ ], external links [ ].

• Icheb article at Memory Alpha , the wiki for canon Star Trek .
• Icheb article at The Star Trek Online Wiki .
• 1 The Chase
• 2 Preserver (race)
• 3 Tzenkethi

Manu Intiraymi

• View history

Manu Intiraymi ( born 22 April 1978 ; age 45) is an actor who portrayed the former Borg drone Icheb in eleven episodes of the sixth and seventh seasons of Star Trek: Voyager .

In 2015 , Intiraymi reprised his role as Icheb for the fan production Star Trek Renegades . The film is directed and starring Tim Russ , was written and produced by Ethan H. Calk and Jack Treviño , and features fellow Trek alumni Walter Koenig , Gary Graham , Robert Picardo , Rico E. Anderson , Courtney Peldon , Clint Carmichael , Richard Herd , Jason Matthew Smith , John Carrigan , Ryan T. Husk , and Tad Atkinson . John Eaves worked as art director on it.

Personal [ ]

Intiraymi was born in Santa Cruz, California. His first name, Manu, is Hawaiian meaning "bird". His surname, Intiraymi, is Incan meaning "Festival of (the Incan sun-god) Inti". He identifies as bisexual. [1]

Intiraymi started his acting career with featured parts in episodes of Pacific Blue (1997, with Richard Herd and Jeremy Roberts ), Unhappily Ever After (1997, starring Nikki Cox ), JAG (1998, with Paul Collins , Steven Culp , and Bennet Guillory ), Smart Guy (1998, with Tahj D. Mowry ), The King of Queens (1999), Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1999, created by Jonathan Schmock and guest starring Bebe Neuwirth and Mark Colson ), and 24 (2001).

His first feature film roles include supporting parts in the comedy Senseless (1998, with Jenette Goldstein , Richard McGonagle , Greg Grunberg , Alexander Enberg , Brad Dourif , Ivar Brogger , Cyia Batten , Jack Shearer , Len Costanza , John Wilkie , Janet Dey , Rubin Knight , Bruce Dobos , and Andray Johnson ), Go (1999), Whatever It Takes (2000 film)|Whatever it Takes (2000, with Joe Gieb and Adam Harrington ), and the short comedy Eyeball Eddie (2001, with Keno Deary ). He was also featured in Pearl Harbor (2001).

Following his two years on Voyager , Intiraymi appeared in an episode of Las Vegas (2005, starring Nikki Cox and with Nan Martin and Darlena Tejeiro ) and appeared in the comedy Orange County (2002, with George Murdock ), the comedy Zah-A Pizza Movie (2009), the short drama Masterpieces (2010), the short comedy Expired (2011, with Mark Chaet and Robert Clendenin ), the drama Driving by Braille (2011), J. Edgar (2011, with Jack Donner , William Bebow , Tom Archdeacon , Zach Grenier , Stephen Root , and David Clennon ), Literally, Right Before Aaron (2011), and the war drama Fortress (2012, with Sean McGowan ).

In 2012 he portrayed the recurring character Billy in six episodes of One Tree Hill where he worked with Barbara Alyn Woods . Further credits include the action film Abstraction (2013), the short horror film Pray with Us (2014), and the drama Benjamin Troubles (2014).

In Unbelievable!!!!! (2015) his co-stars included Dina Meyer , Olivia d'Abo , Nana Visitor , Linda Park , Michael Dorn , Nichelle Nichols , Jeffrey Combs , Chase Masterson , Julie Warner , Tim Russ, Walter Koenig, Robert Picardo, John Billingsley , Armin Shimerman , Michael Forest , Connor Trinneer , Celeste Yarnall , Barbara Luna , Garrett Wang , Gary Graham, Crystal Allen , Gary Lockwood , Anthony Montgomery , Beverly Washburn , Jasmine Jessica Anthony , Vaughn Armstrong , Jack Donner, Menina Fortunato , Sean Kenney , and Kevin Carlson .

Other projects in 2015 include the romance Promises , the short science fiction drama Instant (with Phil Morris ), the science fiction film 5th Passenger (with Tim Russ, Marina Sirtis , Armin Shimerman, Ryan T. Husk, Hana Hatae , Rico E. Anderson, Jodi Johnston , and co-producer and makeup effects supervisor Thomas E. Surprenant ), the action drama Six Gun Savior (with Tim Russ and Jason Matthew Smith), and the fantasy film The Green Fairy (with Robert Miano ).

Intiraymi also appeared in the action film The Dark Zone (2016, with Tim Russ and co-produced by Ryan T. Husk).

Star Trek appearances [ ]

• " Collective "
• " Ashes to Ashes "
• " Child's Play "
• " The Haunting of Deck Twelve "
• " Imperfection "
• " Nightingale "
• " Shattered "
• " Lineage "
• " Human Error "
• " Endgame "

External links [ ]

• Manu Intiraymi at Wikipedia
• Manu Intiraymi at the Internet Movie Database
• 1 Abdullah bin al-Hussein
• 3 John Paul Lona

Whatever Happened To The Cast Of Star Trek: Voyager?

The third "Star Trek" series to air in the 1990s, "Star Trek: Voyager" was also the flagship series for the all-new Paramount television network UPN. Making its debut in January of 1995, the series saw Captain Kathryn Janeway command the state-of-the-art starship Voyager on a mission to pursue a group of Maquis rebels. However, when a phenomenon envelops them both and hurls them to the distant Delta Quadrant, Starfleet officers and Maquis terrorists become one crew on a perilous journey home.

Despite a few cast shake-ups, "Voyager" ran for seven seasons and featured a consistently stellar ensemble. The series helped launch the careers of several of its lesser-known actors, while others can count the series as the highest point in their filmography. Some walked away from Hollywood after it concluded, while a few have since made big comebacks, returning to the roles that made them famous.

Since it ended in 2001, "Voyager" has aged like fine wine, earning new fans thanks to the magic of streaming where new generations can discover it anew. Whether seeing it for the first time — or even if you're watching it for the umpteenth — you may be wondering where the cast is now. Well, recalibrate the bio-neural gel packs and prep the Delta Flyer for launch because we're here to fill you in on what's happened to the cast of "Star Trek: Voyager."

Kate Mulgrew as Captain Kathryn Janeway

It's no secret that Kate Mulgrew wasn't the first choice to play Captain Janeway in "Star Trek: Voyager." Academy Award-nominee Geneviève Bujold was famously cast first  but filmed only a few scenes before quitting the show during the production of the series pilot, leading to Mulgrew being brought in. Today it is difficult to imagine anyone else in the role, though it's hardly Mulgrew's only iconic TV series.

Following the show's conclusion in 2001, Mulgrew took a few years off from acting, returning with a small role in the 2005 film "Perception" with Piper Perabo. After a guest appearance on "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," Mulgrew snagged a recurring role on "The Black Donnellys" in 2007 alongside Jonathan Tucker and Olivia Wilde and another in the short-lived NBC medical drama "Mercy" in 2009. Her return to a main cast, however, came in the Adult Swim series "NTSF:SD:SUV::," where she played an eye patch-wearing leader of an anti-terrorism task force alongside future "Star Trek" star Rebecca Romijn .

Of course, Mulgrew found a major career resurgence in 2013, starring in one of Netflix's earliest forays into original programming, "Orange is the New Black." In the series she stars as Red, an inmate at a women's prison, a role that would earn her an Emmy nomination. Mulgrew returned to "Star Trek" in 2021, voicing both Kathryn Janeway and a holographic version of the character in the Nickelodeon-produced CGI-animated series  "Star Trek: Prodigy."

Robert Beltran as Commander Chakotay

Sitting in the chair next to Captain Janeway for seven seasons was Robert Beltran as Commander Chakotay, a former Maquis first officer. Though Beltran counts his heritage as Latino, Chakotay was actually the first Native American series regular in the franchise but was sadly under-used, a fact that the actor has  commented on . Following "Star Trek: Voyager," Beltran's work on the small screen was mostly limited to guest appearances, popping up in episodes of "CSI: Miami" and "Medium" in the 2000s while filling roles in movies like "Taking Chances," "Fire Serpent," and "Manticore." 

Beltran's first recurring part on TV after "Voyager" was in the series "Big Love," starring Bill Paxton and Jeanne Tripplehorn. In the series, he played Jerry Flute — another Native American — who has plans to construct a casino on a reservation. However, over the next decade, Beltran seemed to move away from acting, with a sparse handful of minor roles. He revealed on Twitter that he turned down a chance to play Chakotay one more time in the revival series "Star Trek: Picard," as he was unhappy with the part they'd written for him. 

Nevertheless, Beltran did come back to join Kate Mulgrew for the animated children's series "Star Trek: Prodigy." Voicing Chakotay in his triumphant return to the franchise, the series sees the character lost in space and his former captain on a mission to find him.

Tim Russ as Lt. Tuvok

Actor Tim Russ had already made a few guest appearances in "Star Trek: The Next Generation," "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" and even the film "Star Trek Generations" before joining the main cast of "Star Trek: Voyager" in 1995. Russ became a fan-favorite as Vulcan Lt. Tuvok, who was later promoted to Lt. Commander. However, after seven seasons playing the stoic, emotionless Tuvok, Russ kept busy with a variety of different roles, mostly guest-starring in popular TV hits.

This includes guest spots in everything from "ER" and "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" to episodes of "Hannah Montana" and "Without a Trace." He even appeared on the big screen with a small role in "Live Free or Die Hard" in 2007, but it didn't keep him away from TV, as he also had a multi-episode appearance on the hit soap "General Hospital." That same year, Russ joined the main cast of the Christina Applegate comedy "Samantha Who?" and later began working in video games, providing voice work for "Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus" and "The Last of Us Part 2." 

Since then, the actor has kept busy with countless roles in such as "Criminal Minds," "NCIS: New Orleans," "Supergirl," and "The Good Doctor." More recently, Russ turned up in an episode of Seth MacFarlane's "Star Trek" homage "The Orville,"  and in 2023 voiced Lucius Fox in the animated film "Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham."

Roxann Dawson as B'Elanna Torres

On "Star Trek: Voyager," the role of chief engineer was filled by Roxann Dawson who played half-Klingon/half-human B'Elanna Torres. Starting out as a Maquis rebel, she eventually becomes one of the most important members of the crew, as well as a wife and mother. Following her run on the series, Dawson had just a handful of on-screen roles, which included single episodes of "The Closer" and "Without a Trace." That's because, like her franchise cohort  Jonathan Frakes , Dawson moved behind the camera to become a director full-time.

Getting her start overseeing episodes of "Voyager" first, Dawson moved on to helm entries of "Star Trek" spin-off "Enterprise" before broadening to other shows across television. Since 2005, Dawson has directed episodes of some of the biggest hits on TV including "Lost" and "The O.C." in 2006, eight episodes of "Cold Case," a trio of "Heroes" episodes, and more. 

We could go on and on rattling off the hit shows she's sat behind the camera for but among her most notable might be the David Simon HBO series "Treme" in 2011, "Hell on Wheels" with future starship captain Anson Mount, and modern masterpieces like "Bates Motel," "The Americans," and "This is Us." Her most recent work saw her return to sci-fi, helming two episodes of the Apple TV+ series "Foundation."

Garrett Wang as Ensign Harry Kim

Despite never seeing a rise in rank and perpetually remaining a low-level ensign, Harry Kim — played by Garrett Wang – often played a crucial role in defeating many of the enemies the crew would face in the Delta Quadrant. When "Star Trek: Voyager" left the airwaves, though, Wang bounced around, with his biggest role arguably coming in the 2005 Steven Spielberg-produced miniseries "Into the West." He has continued embracing his role as Ensign Kim by appearing at many fan conventions, where he found an entirely new calling. 

Beginning in 2010, Kim embarked on a career as an event moderator, serving as the Master of Ceremonies at that year's FedCon (a science fiction convention held in Germany). Later, he was the Trek Track Director at the celebrated Dragon Con event, held annually in Atlanta, Georgia. Over the course of his new career, Wang has held moderating duties and hosted panels and events at major pop culture conventions in Montreal, Edmonton, Phoenix, and Denver. According to Wang, his biggest role as a moderator came at the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo in 2012, where he interviewed the legendary Stan Lee .

In 2020, Wang joined forces with co-star Robert Duncan McNeill to launch "The Delta Flyers," a podcast that discusses classic episodes of "Star Trek: Voyager."

Robert Duncan McNeill as Lt. Tom Paris

Robert Duncan McNeill guest-starred in an episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" as a hotshot pilot who broke the rules and wound up booted from Starfleet. So when producers developed a similar character, they brought in McNeill to play him, resulting in brash, cavalier helm officer Tom Paris. In 2002, after "Star Trek: Voyager" ended, McNeill starred in an episode of  "The Outer Limits" revival  and a few more small roles. However, like Dawson, McNeill left acting not long after the series ended to become a director and producer, starting with four episodes of "Star Trek: Enterprise."

Into the 2000s, McNiell helmed episodes of "Dawson's Creek" and "One Tree Hill" before becoming an executive producer on the action-comedy series "Chuck" starring Zachary Levi. Ultimately he'd direct 21 episodes of that series across its five seasons. From there, McNeill went on to sit behind the camera for installments of "The Mentalist," "Blue Bloods," and "Suits." 

Since the 2010s, McNeill has served as an executive producer on further shows that included "The Gifted," the Disney+ reboot of "Turner & Hooch," and the SyFy series "Resident Alien." In addition to hosting "The Delta Flyers" podcast with co-star Garrett Wang, McNeill came back to "Star Trek" in 2022 when he voiced the character of Tom Paris in a cameo on the animated comedy "Star Trek: Lower Decks."

Ethan Phillips as Neelix

Another actor to appear on "Star Trek" before taking a leading role on "Voyager," Ethan Phillips played the quirky alien chef Neelix for all seven seasons of the show's run. A well-established veteran, his TV roles prior had included dramas like "NYPD Blue" and family hits like "Doogie Howser, M.D." Unfortunately, his role on "Voyager" never translated to big-time success after, though he hardly struggled for work. That's because he went back to his former career as a character actor.

In the ensuing years, Phillips could be seen all over the dial and beyond, with parts in "Touched by an Angel" and "8 Simple Rules" among many others, even popping up in a guest-starring role in an episode of "Star Trek: Enterprise" in 2002. Later he did a three-episode run on "Boston Legal," another Beantown-based legal drama from David E. Kelley, this one starring "Star Trek" legend William Shatner and "Deep Space Nine" alum René Auberjonois. Some of the biggest shows he's found work on during the 2010s meanwhile include "Better Call Saul" and a recurring role in the Lena Dunham comedy "Girls." He's also had roles in major movies, showing up in "Inside Llewyn Davis," "The Purge: Election Year," and "The Island."

Though he hasn't come back to "Star Trek," Phillips did return to sci-fi in 2020, joining the main cast of the HBO space comedy "Avenue 5" alongside Hugh Laurie and Josh Gad.

Jeri Ryan as Seven of Nine

Though she didn't arrive on "Star Trek: Voyager" until Season 4, Jeri Ryan arguably became the series' biggest star. She came in to help liven up a series that was struggling and joined the cast as a former Borg drone named Seven of Nine . It proved to be just what the series needed and a career-defining role for Ryan. One of the few cast members of "Voyager" to parlay her role into bigger success, Ryan immediately joined the David E. Kelley legal drama "Boston Public" after the series ended.

There she had a three-season run and in 2006 she secured another starring role on another legal drama, this time in the James Woods series "Shark," with Danielle Panabaker and Henry Simmons. Smaller recurring roles came after, including multi-episode stints on "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," "Two and a Half Men," and "Leverage," before Ryan returned to a main cast with her co-starring role in "Body of Proof" in 2011 alongside Dana Delany. Parts in "Helix" and "Bosch" came after, as well as brief recurring roles in "MacGyver" and "Major Crimes," leading right up to her return to "Star Trek" in 2020.

That year, Ryan joined the cast of the revival series "Star Trek: Picard." Returning to the role of Seven of Nine, she supported series lead Patrick Stewart by appearing in all three seasons, and rumor has it she may even star in a spin-off. 

Jennifer Lien as Kes

Joining the Starfleet and Maquis crew aboard Voyager was Kes, a young alien woman with mild telepathic powers and just a nine-year lifespan, and played by Jennifer Lien. Unfortunately, her character never quite gelled, and in Season 4 Lien was written out to make way for Jeri Ryan as Seven of Nine.

Leaving the series in 1997, Lien's career stalled in front of the camera, though she did manage a role in "American History X" alongside "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" star Avery Brooks. However, most of her subsequent work came in animation, with voice work in "Superman: The Animated Series" — where she played Inza, the wife of Doctor Fate — and a starring role as Agent L in "Men in Black: The Series." 

Unfortunately, Lien pretty much left acting shortly after that. She married filmmaker Phil Hwang and started a family but has faced personal problems along the way. While struggling to deal with her mental health, Lien was arrested in 2015 for indecent exposure and again in 2018 for driving without a license. 

If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website .

Manu Intiraymi as Icheb

Late in Season 6 of "Star Trek: Voyager," a storyline saw the ship rescue a stranded vessel commanded by a group of wayward Borg children. At the conclusion of the story, four young drones join the crew, becoming a surrogate family of sorts to Seven of Nine after jettisoning their Borg identities. The eldest of them is Icheb, a teenager who becomes like a brother to Seven, played by actor Manu Intiraymi. The young actor went on to make 11 appearances across the final two seasons of the show. 

When "Voyager" ended in 2001, Intiraymi continued acting, with his largest role coming in "One Tree Hill." There he played Billy — a local drug dealer — in a recurring role in 2012. Further projects were mostly independent films like "5th Passenger" in 2017 and "Hell on the Border," a 2019 Western starring David Gyasi, Ron Perlman, and Frank Grillo. 

In 2017, Intiraymi came under fire for criticizing fellow "Star Trek" actor Anthony Rapp, who'd made accusations of sexual assault against Kevin Spacey . A few years later, fans speculated those comments may have been why he wasn't asked to return to the role of Icheb in "Star Trek: Picard," with a new actor playing the part in a scene that killed off the character.

Scarlett Pomers as Naomi Wildman

Plenty of TV shows have added a kid to shake up the status quo late into their run, and "Star Trek: Voyager" was not immune to this trope. In addition to Borg kids like Icheb, Samantha Wildman — the newborn daughter of a crewperson — became a recurring character beginning in Season 5, played by Scarlett Pomers. She'd wind up in 16 episodes, including a few where she played a leading role. In the aftermath of the end of the series, Pomers appeared in the Julia Roberts film "Erin Brockovich," and in 2001 joined the cast of the sitcom "Reba."

For six seasons Pomers starred as Kyra Hart, daughter of the show's star played by Reba McEntire. Appearing in a whopping 103 episodes, it was only Pomers' second regular role but also her last on-screen performance. When that series concluded, Pomers essentially retired from acting. Unfortunately, her exit from the stage was at least partly due to her ongoing battle with an eating disorder, and Pomers has since become an outspoken advocate for those struggling with anorexia and mental illness. In a 2019 interview with StarTrek.com , Pomers also talked about her subsequent career as a photographer, musician, and jewelry designer.

If you are struggling with an eating disorder, or know someone who is, help is available. Visit the National Eating Disorders Association website or contact NEDA's Live Helpline at 1-800-931-2237. You can also receive 24/7 Crisis Support via text (send NEDA to 741-741).

Martha Hackett as Seska

In the early seasons of "Star Trek: Voyager," one of the most compelling ongoing storylines was that of Seska, a Bajoran and former Maquis rebel and on-again-off-again lover of Chakotay. Played by recurring guest star Martha Hackett, it was later revealed that Seska was actually an enemy agent in disguise. Hackett would appear in a total of 13 episodes of the series, making it by far the largest role in her career. Still, she has appeared in some big hits over the last two decades.

Those included a small role in "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" in 2005 and an appearance in the cult horror movie "The Bye Bye Man" in 2017. It also includes one-off appearances in episodes of popular projects on the small screen, like "The Mindy Project" in 2014, "Masters of Sex" a year earlier, and a recurring role in the daytime soap "Days of Our Lives" between 2016 and 2018. Thanks to her iconic role as Seska, though, Hackett continues to be a regular on the "Star Trek" convention circuit and was interviewed for the upcoming "Star Trek: Voyager" documentary "To the Journey."

Robert Picardo as the Doctor

For 30 years, the world of science fiction meant one thing when the moniker of "The Doctor" was uttered, but that all changed in 1995 with the launch of "Star Trek: Voyager." There, actor Robert Picardo — already known for antagonistic roles in "Gremlins 2: The New Batch" and "InnerSpace" — starred as the Doctor, the nameless holographic chief medical officer aboard the Voyager. Known for his offbeat humor and cantankerous attitude, he was played to perfection by Picardo, and it would become the actor's signature role. 

Still, even after leaving sickbay as the Doctor, Picardo had a healthy career, moving quickly into a role in "The Lyon's Den" starring Rob Lowe and Kyle Chandler in 2003. A year later he joined another iconic sci-fi franchise when he secured a recurring part in "Stargate SG-1"  as Richard Woolsey, a grumpy U.S. official who opposed the Stargate program. Following a string of appearances on the flagship series, Picardo joined the main cast of "Stargate: Atlantis" in 2006. A few years later, Picardo had another repeat role, this time as Jason Cooper on "The Mentalist," and he later enjoyed a stint on the Apple TV+ drama "Dickinson."

In 2023, the actor made a guest appearance on the "Quantum Leap" revival playing Doctor Woolsey, whose name is a clear tribute to his two biggest TV roles.

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‘Picard’: The Most Violent ‘Star Trek’ Scene Ever, and Why Seven of Nine’s Story Needed It

Christian blauvelt.

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[ Editor’s Note: The following interview contains spoilers for the “Star Trek: Picard ” episode “Stardust City Rag.”]

“Star Trek: Picard” has flipped the script. So often in genre storytelling a female supporting character’s death is used simply as a way of adding to the experience and personality of a male protagonist. In “Stardust City Rag,” the latest episode of “Picard,” the roles are reversed. Following an even more shocking earlier murder, Bruce Maddox (John Ales), the robotics expert everyone has been seeking for the first five episodes is killed by his lover and protégé, Agnes Jurati (Allison Pill).

“For a lot of reasons, it made sense that Bruce Maddox would not make it through this episode,” episode writer and supervising producer Kirsten Beyer said. “The most important part was Jurati’s relationship to him and what it says about how committed she is to the mission she’s been assigned.”

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Rather than just adding another new character in a show already packed with new characters to keep track of, Beyer realized when breaking the story for “Stardust City Rag” it would be more interesting to use this MacGuffin of a character as a way of enriching Jurati. She was visited by the head of Starfleet Intelligence, Commodore Oh, before leaving Earth, and says, while killing Maddox, “I wish you knew what I know… I wish they hadn’t shown me.” Whatever they showed her, likely some representation of how Data’s “daughter” Soji (Isa Briones) becoming “The Destroyer” who will wipe out all sentient life, it spooked her enough to kill one of the most important people in her life — someone committed to saving Soji.

“This is still only part of the story,” Beyer said, teasing that “a little more” information about Maddox will still be revealed. And she said that you can see hints at Jurati’s secret mission even earlier on.

“It’s easy to attribute her nervousness in that scene with Picard [in Episode Three] right before she gets on the shuttle to just the fact that she just killed a guy for the first time. But that’s also the first time we see her after her conversation with Commodore Oh, after her mission for Starfleet Intelligence became a thing. So I think that plays into her nervousness in that scene, as well.”

What’s fascinating is that “Stardust City Rag” doesn’t just use a male character’s death to enrich a female character’s story, it does so twice. While Maddox’s death ends the episode, Icheb’s murder opens it. Now played by Casey King, a dead-ringer for Manu Intiraymi who played the character for two seasons on “Star Trek: Voyager,” ex-Borg Icheb continued his career in Starfleet, serving as the science officer on a vessel lured into a trap. The gangster Bjayzl, seeking to sell his Borg parts on the black market, attacked his ship, captured him and had a chop doc butcher him alive. The most grisly moment, probably the most brutal moment ever in any incarnation of “Star Trek,” occurs when a drill whirs toward his eye-socket followed by an extraction device that pulls out his eyeball. The optic nerve connecting his eye is then severed.

This sounds like something out of a “Hostel” movie, not “Trek.” And Beyer herself said, “I’m curious about fan reaction to this.” But the justification makes sense: Seven of Nine considered Icheb practically a son — she calls him “my child” as she comes upon him, brutalized, and ends his misery with a phaser blast. It would take a trauma this extreme to precipitate Seven’s transformation into the kind of revenge-obsessed vigilante who murders her way to justice for Icheb at the end of “Stardust City Rag.”

Intriguingly, the scene was more brutal on set than Beyer had necessarily written it: “I was hearing the music [the chop doc] was listening to more than I was hearing Icheb’s screaming,” she said. “Like it was business as usual for this doctor, that this is something she’s done many times before. It’s another day at the office for her. But then once we got into production on set, it was really quite traumatic. Honestly, I’d never shot a scene like that before. And I thought what Jonathan [Frakes, the episode’s director] chose to do… I mean, he just went for it. I think for Seven to actually kill Bjayzl it was important that the audience feel the horror of what had happened to Icheb, and how that would impact Seven. I’m not sure the audience would accept that ending unless they really felt that visceral horror at the beginning. And because the Seven we have always seen was so in control of her emotions. She only experimented with them quite gingerly when she was part of Voyager’s crew. And 20 years later, clearly a lot has changed for her.”

If, like this writer, you’re looking for a little bit of solace about Icheb’s death, here’s this: that may not have been his actual eyeball that was yanked out. When people are assimilated into the Borg, they usually lose an eye that becomes an ocular implant instead — Beyer reminds us that an early Seven of Nine episode on “Voyager” actually features The Doctor (Robert Picardo) creating an artificial eye for Seven that will match her intact eye’s color. “So yeah, I don’t think it was his real eye” that was pulled out at the beginning of “Stardust City Rag,” Beyer said. “The thing I was hardcore about acknowledging was that the thing Bjayzl most wanted, his cortical implant, he didn’t have anymore. That was a callback to the ‘Voyager’ episode ‘Imperfection’ where Icheb chose to give up his cortical implant to Seven so that she could survive.”

Beyer had written a series of “Voyager” novels that continued the story of the crew after the last episode aired in 2001. None of those stories are canon — as “Stardust City Rag” suggests, Starfleet has not continued to explore the Delta Quadrant, which did happen in Beyer’s books. But she certainly knew from that experience how to write for Seven. Although, to borrow from another franchise, she did have to unlearn a bit of what she had learned. “The first several drafts that I wrote of this, the notes that I kept getting back were that I was still writing Seven’s voice much too close to what it was on ‘Voyager.’ Because that’s just my default, you know what I mean? They really wanted to see a much clearer evolution for her. That took a while to get there.”

You can take the Borg out of the Collective, but it’s certainly harder to take the Collective out of the Borg.

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Engineers attempt to fix a computer glitch on Voyager 1

Voyager 1's system that sends data home is malfunctioning, preventing the computer from operating as it should.

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Last November, the Voyager 1 spacecraft began sending gibberish radio signals back to Earth. Engineers have now identified the problem, but trying to repair a 46-year-old device on a craft 24 billion kilometres from Earth is not easy.

Voyager 1 and its twin Voyager 2 were both launched in 1977 on a reconnaissance mission to Jupiter and Saturn. They were designed to fly past the giant planets to obtain closeup images of those distant worlds and their myriad of moons.

Both spacecraft performed beyond expectations, discovering many new moons — some covered in ice , one with active volcanoes , another with a thick atmosphere and closeup details of Saturn's rings .  

Following the Saturn encounter, Voyager 1 was flung upwards by Saturn's gravity on a trajectory northward, above the orbital plane in which most of the planets orbit the Sun, out of our solar system. NASA extended its mission and from there it went on to become the first human-made object to venture into interstellar space in 2012. 

Voyager 2, however, was aimed toward Uranus and Neptune, which were conveniently positioned in a rare alignment with Jupiter and Saturn making it the only spacecraft to visit those distant worlds.

Following the grand tour of the outer solar system, Voyager 2 was also tossed out toward interstellar space in 2018 when its mission was extended and where it continues on its journey today. 

• After a 42-year journey, Voyager 2 goes interstellar
• Voyager 1 picks up the 'hum' of interstellar space

While their primary missions were over, both spacecraft were still in good health, thanks largely to their nuclear power sources or Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTG). These containers hold small amounts of plutonium which provide heat that is turned directly into electricity with no moving parts. They have an expected lifetime of around 50 years and have kept the Voyagers' instruments running.

Now, as both spacecraft continue their journey through the space between the stars, they are showing signs of their age.

For Voyager 1, the problem seems to be in the flight data subsystem (FDS) that packages data from the scientific instruments for transmission to Earth. The scientists don't know if the faulty module was corrupted by cosmic rays or just worn out, but they say they're optimistic they may be able to work around the problem, although it will take some time.

Engineers have confirmed that corrupted memory aboard my twin <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Voyager1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Voyager1</a> has been causing it to send unreadable data to Earth. It may take months, but our team is optimistic they can find a way for the FDS to operate normally again: <a href="https://t.co/qe5iQUu4Oj">https://t.co/qe5iQUu4Oj</a> <a href="https://t.co/AGFBZFz53v">https://t.co/AGFBZFz53v</a> &mdash; @NASAVoyager

The challenge is that the computers were built in the 1970s using old code and send data very slowly by today's standards.

In addition, these computers are so deep in space, it takes 22.5 hours for a radio signal from Voyager 1 to reach Earth. That means the controllers on the ground have to wait 45 hours for each two-way communication with the spacecraft.

Given how very, very far they are from home, if something goes wrong with them, it's up to engineers on the ground to fix it by sending radio signals since reaching them for repair missions isn't possible. We're a long way from the fictional warp drive and sub-space communication that made life so easy on the Starship Enterprise of Star Trek fame. 

The twin Voyagers are now the most distant objects ever sent from Earth; a demonstration of how vast space is and how slow our spacecraft are. In 1977, I attended the launch of Voyager 2 when my hair was black and skin was smooth. This one mission with Voyager 1 and 2 has occupied a good chunk of my lifetime.

In another few years, the RTGs on both Voyagers are expected to run down to the point where the spacecraft will no longer be able to communicate with Earth. They will just continue to drift in silence among the stars of the Milky Way for billions of years. 

However, there is one item on both Voyagers that will continue to function, the Golden Record, which carries a message from Earth to anyone out there who may find the spacecraft in the future.

The chances of them being found are astronomically small, but they will become the longest running experiment in human history.

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NASA engineers discover why Voyager 1 is sending a stream of gibberish from outside our solar system

Voyager 1 has been sending a stream of garbled nonsense since November. Now NASA engineers have identified the fault and found a potential workaround.

For the past five months, the Voyager 1 spacecraft has been sending a steady stream of unreadable gibberish back to Earth. Now, NASA engineers finally know why.

The 46-year-old spacecraft sends regular radio signals as it drifts further from our solar system . But in November 2023, the signals suddenly became garbled, meaning  scientists were unable to read any of its data, and they were left mystified about the fault's origins. 

In March, NASA engineers sent a command prompt, or "poke," to the craft to get a readout from its flight data subsystem (FDS) — which packages Voyager 1's science and engineering data before beaming it back to Earth. 

After decoding the spacecraft's response, the engineers have found the source of the problem: The FDS's memory has been corrupted.

Related: NASA's Voyager 1 sends readable message to Earth after 4 nail-biting months of gibberish

"The team suspects that a single chip responsible for storing part of the affected portion of the FDS memory isn't working," NASA said in a blog post Wednesday (March 13) . "Engineers can't determine with certainty what caused the issue. Two possibilities are that the chip could have been hit by an energetic particle from space or that it simply may have worn out after 46 years."

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Although it may take several months, the engineers say they can find a workaround to run the FDS without the fried chip — restoring the spacecraft's messaging output and enabling it to continue to send readable information from outside our solar system.

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Launched in 1977, Voyager 1 zipped past Saturn and Jupiter in 1979 and 1980 before flying out into interstellar space in 2012. It is now recording the conditions outside of the sun's protective magnetic field , or heliosphere, which blankets our solar system.

Voyager 1 is currently more than 15 billion miles (24 billion kilometers) from Earth, and it takes 22.5 hours for any radio signal to travel from the craft to our planet.

Ben Turner is a U.K. based staff writer at Live Science. He covers physics and astronomy, among other topics like tech and climate change. He graduated from University College London with a degree in particle physics before training as a journalist. When he's not writing, Ben enjoys reading literature, playing the guitar and embarrassing himself with chess.

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• TorbjornLarsson Bon voyage, Voyager! Reply
• Jay McHue What if aliens are doing it to try to communicate with us? 🤪 Reply

Jay McHue said: What if aliens are doing it to try to communicate with us? 🤪

admin said: Voyager 1 has been sending a stream of garbled nonsense since November. Now NASA engineers have identified the fault and found a potential workaround. NASA engineers discover why Voyager 1 is sending a stream of gibberish from outside our solar system : Read more

sourloaf said: What does FSB mean?

Rusty Lugnuts said: Where are you seeing "FSB"? The closest thing I can see in the article is "FDS". In modern computers, FSB would most likely refer to the Fr0nt S1ide Bu5, though I have no idea if a system as old as Voyagers, let alone engineered so specifically, would have an FSB. (apparently I can't spell out "Fr0nt S1ide Bu5" or my post gets flagged as spam or inappropriate??)

• SkidWard Just cut the % of ram needed... skip the bad sectors Reply
• kloudykat FDS = fl1ght da1a sub5ystem5 Reply
• 5ft24dave This is pretty old news, like 6 months old. Are you guys just now discovering this? Reply

Commodore Browncoat said: That's about as sane a theory as many of the others that have become ridiculously popular in the past several years, so sure - why not? What reply do you think we should send?

• View All 11 Comments

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Engineers Pinpoint Cause of Voyager 1 Issue, Are Working on Solution

Engineers have confirmed that a small portion of corrupted memory in one of the computers aboard NASA’s Voyager 1 has been causing the spacecraft to send unreadable science and engineering data to Earth since last November. Called the flight data subsystem (FDS), the computer is responsible for packaging the probe’s science and engineering data before the telemetry modulation unit (TMU) and radio transmitter send the data to Earth.

In early March , the team issued a “poke” command to prompt the spacecraft to send back a readout of the FDS memory, which includes the computer’s software code as well as variables (values used in the code that can change based on commands or the spacecraft’s status). Using the readout, the team has confirmed that about 3% of the FDS memory has been corrupted, preventing the computer from carrying out normal operations.

The team suspects that a single chip responsible for storing part of the affected portion of the FDS memory isn’t working. Engineers can’t determine with certainty what caused the issue. Two possibilities are that the chip could have been hit by an energetic particle from space or that it simply may have worn out after 46 years.

Although it may take weeks or months, engineers are optimistic they can find a way for the FDS to operate normally without the unusable memory hardware, which would enable Voyager 1 to begin returning science and engineering data again.

Launched in 1977 , the twin Voyager spacecraft flew by Saturn and Jupiter, and Voyager 2 flew by Uranus and Neptune. They are both exploring interstellar space, outside the bubble of particles and magnetic fields created by the Sun, called the heliosphere. Voyager 2 continues to operate normally.

News Media Contact Calla Cofield Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. 626-808-2469 [email protected]

We finally know why NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft stopped communicating — scientists are working on a fix

The first spacecraft to explore beyond the solar system started spouting gibberish late last year. Now, NASA knows why.

NASA engineers have discovered the cause of a communications breakdown between Earth and the interstellar explorer Voyager 1. It would appear that a small portion of corrupted memory exists in one of the spacecraft's computers. 

The glitch caused Voyager 1 to send unreadable data back to Earth, and is found in the NASA spacecraft's flight data subsystem (FDS). That's the system responsible for packaging the probe's science and engineering data before the telemetry modulation unit (TMU) and radio transmitter send it back to mission control. 

The source of the issue began to reveal itself when Voyager 1 operators sent the spacecraft a "poke" on March 3, 2024. This was intended to prompt FDS to send a full memory readout back to Earth.

The readout confirmed to the NASA team that about 3% of the FDS memory had been corrupted, and that this was preventing the computer from carrying out its normal operations.

Related: NASA finds clue while solving Voyager 1's communication breakdown case

Launched in 1977, Voyager 1 became the first human-made object to leave the solar system and enter interstellar space in 2012. Voyager 2 followed its spacecraft sibling out of the solar system in 2018, and is still operational and communicating well with  Earth.

After 11 years of interstellar exploration, in Nov. 2023, Voyager 1's binary code — the computer language it uses to communicate with Earth — stopped making sense. Its 0's and 1's didn't mean anything anymore.

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"Effectively, the call between the spacecraft and the Earth was still connected, but Voyager's 'voice' was replaced with a monotonous dial tone," Voyager 1's engineering team previously  told Space.com .

The team strongly suspects this glitch is the result of a single chip that's responsible for storing part of the affected portion of the FDS memory ceasing to work.

Currently, however, NASA can’t say for sure what exactly caused that particular issue. The chip could have been struck by a high-speed energetic particle from space or, after 46 years serving Voyager 1, it may simply have worn out.

—  Voyager 2: An iconic spacecraft that's still exploring 45 years on

—  NASA's interstellar Voyager probes get software updates beamed from 12 billion miles away

—  NASA Voyager 2 spacecraft extends its interstellar science mission for 3 more years

Voyager 1 currently sits around 15 billion miles (24 billion kilometers) from Earth, which means it takes 22.5 hours to receive a radio signal from it — and another 22.5 hours for the spacecraft to receive a response via the Deep Space Network's antennas. Solving this communication issue is thus no mean feat.

Yet, NASA scientists and engineers are optimistic they can find a way to help FDS operate normally, even without the unusable memory hardware.

Solving this issue could take weeks or even months, according to NASA — but if it is resolved, Voyager 1 should be able to resume returning science data about what lies outside the solar system.

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: [email protected].

Robert Lea is a science journalist in the U.K. whose articles have been published in Physics World, New Scientist, Astronomy Magazine, All About Space, Newsweek and ZME Science. He also writes about science communication for Elsevier and the European Journal of Physics. Rob holds a bachelor of science degree in physics and astronomy from the U.K.’s Open University. Follow him on Twitter @sciencef1rst.

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• jcs Funny timing for this article, when I am streaming an old Star Trek movie. So, surely this didn't cause a 3 byte glitch removing the O, Y and A from Voyager's name buffer? Get it? Reply
• bwana4swahili It is quite amazing it has lasted this long in a space environment. Reply

bwana4swahili said: It is quite amazing it has lasted this long in a space environment.

• HankySpanky So now we know even better for next time. Perhaps a spare chipset that is not redundant but is ready to take over, stored in a protective environment. A task NASA can handle. We'll find out in 100 year or so - if humanity still exists. Reply

HankySpanky said: So now we know even better for next time. Perhaps a spare chipset that is not redundant but is ready to take over, stored in a protective environment. A task NASA can handle. We'll find out in 100 year or so - if humanity still exists.

• Classical Motion I'm afraid it might self repair. And download galactic knowledge, then decide we are a danger. And turn around. Reply

Classical Motion said: I'm afraid it might self repair. And download galactic knowledge, then decide we are a danger. And turn around.

• jcs ROFLOL! And a hot bald chick delivering the bad news! Reply
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