George Takei (Hikaru Sulu) Monday was the featured speaker at the 2007 Kennedy Space Center Diversity Event, during which he addressed NASA directorates and contractors.

"[Star Trek] had visual diversity," Edge Boston quoted the actor as saying. "An African woman, an Asian man, a pointy-eared alien. But you also heard the diversity - the Scottish accent of the engineer, the Russian accent of our navigator, the southern drawl of our doctor. The point we were trying to make is that there are diversities that you can hear. But another layer of that diversity that you can’t see or hear is sexual orientation. And sexual orientation can contribute to the strength of whatever enterprise you are engaged in."

Takei currently has a role on NBC's Heroes, but has also attracted attention for his recent high-profile coming-out, which presumably led to his invitation for the Kennedy Space Center event. While at the Center, Takei had the opportunity to tour restricted areas, and was able to get a close look at components being readied for the International Space Station.

"When I walked through the orbiter assembly area, they all looked at me as something of a hero. But we're just actors. They are the real heroes," Takei said. "They are the ones that are in fact creating the future that we fabricated for television."

For more on Takei's visit, head over to Edge Boston.

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