Bill Keveney

USA TODAY

Star Trek’s 50th birthday is turning into quite the Enterprise.

Events tied to the golden anniversary of the huge TV and film franchise, which began with a weekly NBC series on Sept. 8, 1966, are ready to launch.

"We are talking about one of the most influential franchises of all time, but also one of the most beloved with arguably the most passionate and invested fan base in the world," says Liz Kalodner, executive vice president of CBS Consumer Products, which is presenting the events (details at StarTrek.com). “This year is about the fans and honoring them and creating experiences for them" in art, science and culture.

On a practical level, Star Trek’s influence can be seen in everything from space exploration to flip cellphones (the communicator) to virtual reality (the holodeck), but it inspires philosophically, too, says William Shatner, the original Captain Kirk.

“What’s out there? What’s going on? Are they coming this way? Are we going that way? Dark matter. Ninety percent of the universe is unknown. Unknown!” Shatner says, shifting from mysterious whisper to animated wonder. “The magic of the universe was brought to a lot of people’s eyes and ears by Star Trek.”

Upcoming events include:

• Star Trek — 50 Artists. 50 Years: An exhibit, to be unveiled at San Diego's Comic-Con in July, will feature Trek-inspired art by 50 artists, including Mr. Spock himself, the late Leonard Nimoy. It will feature illustration, photography, graphic design and other art forms, and travels to other locations worldwide.

• Trek Talks: Think TED Talks inspired by tricorders, alien species and the Prime Directive. Starting in July, schools, science museums and entertainment venues around the world will feature experts leading discussions on topics examined in Star Trek, including space exploration, medical technology and cultural diversity.

“It made such a difference to television as well as to the world's perspective, if you think about a crew of aliens and humans of various ethnicities all working together on the bridge in harmony in the '60s,” Kalodner says. Later Trek series featured a woman and an African-American man at the helm.

• The Starfleet Academy Experience: Fans can enroll at Starfleet Academy in a program opening in May at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum in Ottawa and in June at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York. “Cadets” will take part in a interactive environment, learning about engineering, medical diagnostics, communication and navigation from a Trek perspective.

'Star Trek' 50th anniversary stars on postage stamps in 2016

Concert tour celebrates 'Star Trek' 50th anniversary

In addition to a 50th anniversary convention planned for August in Las Vegas, the initial Star Trek fan gathering in New York, held in 1972, will be commemorated on Labor Day weekend with Mission New York, an event that will bring interactive exhibits and celebrity guests to the East Coast.

The official celebration is already under way with Star Trek: The Ultimate Voyage, a 100-city concert tour featuring an orchestra playing the franchise's music accompanied by relevant scenes from the many films and TV series (startrekultimatevoyage.com).

Nostalgia clearly is part of the appeal, but Star Trek is hardly dormant on the screen. The latest film, Star Trek Beyond, opens in theaters in July and a new series launching on CBS's All Access streaming platform is due early next year.