Star Trek prop restoration special to air on show's anniversary

In an upcoming television special, the original Star Trek series is being restored to its former glory 50 years after it first aired. Literally. Smithsonian Channel’s Building Star Trek will follow two restoration teams at illustrious museums as they attempt to conserve iconic pieces from the original 1960 series.

The two-hour special will focus on a team at Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum as they restore the original U.S.S. Enterprise, an 11-foot, 250-pound model that was used in the original series. The other team will be at Seattle’s EMP Museum, where they will be working to rebuild the Enterprise‘s bridge with original set pieces and props.

Additionally, the special will profile scientists and engineers who are currently working to make the technology that was featured in Star Trek a reality.

Building Star Trek will air on Sept. 4 at 8 p.m. ET on Smithsonian Channel.