Beam Scotty up my friend...

The remains of late Star Trek actor James Doohan, who played Scotty on the show, are to be blasted into space accompanied by thousands of tributes from adoring fans.

The actor, who transported the crew of the Enterprise to and from the starship on the now immortalised command, "Beam me up, Scotty", is to go where only a few men have ever gone when his ashes are launched in orbit in December.

Doohan, who died in July at the age of 85, had asked that his ashes be launched into the final frontier following his demise.

But Space Services, a Texas-based company that rocketed the remains of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry and 1960s drug guru Timothy Leary into the firmament, said Doohan would be accompanied by thousands of fan letters.

The messages to the immensely popular star will be digitised and put onto a disc that will be put in the rocket's payload and accompany his remains into space, the company said.

Doohan's ashes will be fired into orbit from California's Vandenberg Air Force Base on December 6 aboard Space Services' Falcon I rocket. A memorial service will be held at Vandenberg, north of Los Angeles, the day before.

Canadian-born Doohan played engineer Montgomery Scott in the original 1960s Star Trek television series that has spawned a decades-long cult following of the show.