UPDATED: Watch William Shatner Launch Into Space… And His Emotional Return

After a one-day delay due to weather, Blue Origin’s NS-18 mission launched today, with Star Trek’s William Shatner on board.

UPDATE: Shatner is an astronaut

After a couple of brief delays that stopped the countdown, William Shatner launched into space onboard Blue Origin’s second human spaceflight. Blue Origin posted this quick edit of Shatner’s journey to space.

Here is video of Shatner at Zero G.

The experience had a profound impact on Shatner, who can be seen talking about his time in space immediately after exiting the capsule (via CNN).

Watch replay

Blue Origin has provided a complete replay of their webcast, which started at T-90.

 

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Shatner is go for launch

NS-18 is the 18th flight of the Blue Origin New Shepard rocket and the second with human passengers. It is set to go Wednesday, October 13 from Launch Site One in West Texas. Liftoff is targeted for 9:00 am CT (10:00 am ET / 7:00 am PT). At 90 years old, Shatner will become the oldest person to ever have gone into space.

Joining Shatner is Audrey Powers, Blue Origin’s Vice President of Mission & Flight Operations, and two paying passengers, Chris Boshuizen and Glen de Vries. The flight is expected to last about 11 minutes with the crew reaching an altitude of 60 miles above the Earth. They should experience about four minutes of zero gravity before returning home.

William Shatner with Dr. Chris Boshuizen, Audrey Powers, and Glen de Vries

Last night in response to a fan asking if he will take a model of the USS Enterprise into space, Shatner made a callback to his famous “Rocket Man” performance.

Shatner talks about Kirk going to space

Blue Origin released a video featuring Shatner talking about the adventure into space and how there is a “great deal of curiosity of this fictional character, Captain Kirk, going into space.”

On Monday Shatner and his fellow NS-18 crewmembers did a series of interviews talking about the upcoming flight. You can see an example from CNN below.

 


Keep up with Star Trek celebrity news.

132 Comments
oldest
newest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

When are the tractor beams being installed?

Tuesday!

When are the parachutes being installed?

Real men don’t need no stinkin’ parachutes!

I have a bad feeling about this… wrong franchise, I know… but… Good flight and safe return, Captain!

He’ll be fine. Shatner has way more experience with space travel than Bezos or any of these billionaires.

He seemed completely fine after the flight. So much for “he’s 90! he won’t be able to take it!”.

Right. I’m so glad je made it. I wasn’t too worried about his age but about something going wrong with the craft with him on board… Truly moving speech on his part.

All this publicity should make it a shoe in for a 2023 movie.

They had Shatner ready to go for Orcis ST3 before some bright spark decided that was ‘too Star Trekkie’ and decided Trek to the Furious was a better idea instead

Hope you’re not holding your breath on that, that June 23 release date is only about nineteen months out now.

Where they’re launching from, the closest town is Van Horn. It’s the only mark of civilization on the lonely last two hour stretch in the desert on the way to El Paso. Driven it many a time. There’s a pretty good Mexican restaurant there called Chuy’s. In fact, it’s about the only thing there. They have a table in there reserved for John Madden. It was a favorite spot of Madden’s because he was afraid to fly and stopped there on his travels. I’ve been wondering if Shatner and the crew have eaten there. Maybe they’ll seat them at the Madden reserve.

“There’s a pretty good Mexican restaurant there called Chuy’s. In fact, it’s about the only thing there. They have a table in there reserved for John Madden. It was a favorite spot of Madden’s because he was afraid to fly and stopped there on his travels. I’ve been wondering if Shatner and the crew have eaten there.”

I definitely would not eat Mexican food before boarding a spaceship.

It’d be a good touchdown meal.

When you get to space, don’t forget to punch out a few Klingons and make out with at least one Orion slave girl Shatner!

🤣😂🤣

Here’s hoping for a safe trip, a happy landing, and for George Takei to turn green with envy.

Oooooh MYyyyyy!

I saw this morning that Shatner had a few hand made Trek trinkets with him that Bezos made when he was a kid. Apparently his mom had been hanging on to them.

Godspeed, Captain

Smooth sailing Jim!

And a safe touchdown! That was exhilarating to watch live!

Oh, THANK GOD! Mr. Sharner! You are again my hero, and now a TRUE ASTRONAUT!!

Typo. I see it.
Mr. Shatners words are the most expressive I gave ever heard about the overview experience.
Great words!

That was awesome!

To boldly go where no other Trek actor has gone before… Congratulations Bill, welcome to that unique club of humans who have slipped the bonds of earth’s gravity. I wonder if he wanted to say “Warp speed, Mr Sulu!”?

I’ll be the pedant who points out that three real astronauts (Mae Jemison, Michael Fincke and Terry Virts) have also appeared on Star Trek, and Jeff Bezos (who, of course, flew in Blue Origin’s previous human flight) had a cameo in Star Trek Beyond. Not to mention James Doohan’s ashes…

Astronauts who have been to space on Star Trek? Sure. An actor FROM Star Trek travelling into space? Nope. This is still a first.

As for James Doohan’s ashes, they were James Doohan’s ashes.

Bezos portrayed a character in STAR TREK BEYOND, before he went into space becoming an astronaut before Shatner.

Wow! That was fun and potentially culturally transformative with Shatner’s eloquent words about the fragility of our planetary home.

Culturally transformative? I honestly doubt it. This was a footnote moment at best, and most people will have forgotten it in a day or two, other than die-hard Trek fans and Shatner. It was a fun moment, but it wasn’t much more than a millionaire doing something 99 percent of people will never do. There’s nothing culturally transformative about it. It was a publicity stunt that will quickly become yesterday’s news. Fun? Yes. Significant? Not really, no.

Fun? Yeah. Proof of concept, for companies getting contracts in the future to clean up space junk, mine asteroids (or the moon), and research. Very successful. Culturally transformative? Forty percent of the US population is treating modern medicine like the snake oil sellers of old, and trying to gaslight the country that public health is tyranny, so, that’s a negative on cultural transformation, when that much of the population actually believes those “flat earth” arguments.

Lorna and Phil, perhaps my remark was hyperbolic, BUT my thought was that his description of the atmosphere as incredibly thin and vulnerable could have a multiplier effect on the broadening public acceptance of and concern about global warming.

You did say potentially. Carl Sagan, Neil deGrasse Tyson and numerous other scientists have been sounding that alarm for decades, and we have one political party in the US that’s dedicated to the notion that atmospheric carbon pollution is all just a hoax…as may be a whisker away from either returning to power, or seizing it outright. I’m not holding my breath.

Right on! There where/are dozents of astronauts explaining just what shatner tried to… and it did not stop humanity from destroying the ecosystems just yet…
It’s just no novelty.

WOW!

William’s Optimum Wonderment!

Congratulations Mr. Shatner!

Bridging the gap between fact and fiction! Congrats Bill@

Scotty caused the delay by not installing the dylithium crystals properly. Congrats to Mr Shatner.

“Scotty caused the delay by not installing the dylithium crystals properly.”

He canna change the laws of physics.

NBC had the best broadcast network coverage. It was a grand flight for all. Congrats to all.

They almost always do when it comes to space. They’re far too liberal for my taste on anything politics-related, but they do space news well.

Remember, space is communist, apparently…

Well, the communists did get the ball rolling by getting there first. That and the fact that there are currently two communist nations launching manned spaceflight to the one capitalist does tend to set a tone.

On the other hand, that one capitalist nation currently has one operational crewed orbital spacecraft (SpaceX Crew Dragon), two which have made uncrewed test flights (Lockheed Orion and Boeing Starliner) and two operational crewed suborbital spacecraft (Blue Origin’s New Shepard and Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo.) And then there’s SpaceX’s Starship, which might soon render them all obsolete.

Capitalism for the win!

Unmanned tests don’t count as manned space flight.

One communist nation has an independent manned space station. The other shares operation of a manned space station with the capitalist nation.

I’m unaware of an impartial international body rating manned spacecraft for wins?

Two communist nations? If you’re thinking Russia, it’s a real stretch to be calling them communist these days.

It’s a stretch to call Russia free market capitalists too. Autocratic Socialists? That’d get then labelled communists by most of the members of the US Republican Party.

A Federation? That’d get ’em labeled communists by previous contributors to this thread.

Russia is strictly authoritarian these days, a borderline criminal enterprise.

I consider Russia under the thumb of the last vestige of its comnunist state, the KGB, a criminal communist enterprise.

Pointing out that nothing in Star Trek is remotely like American conservative politics. Quite the opposite. Social justice warriors in space using science to make things better, promoting equality and leading with compassion. Love it. In fact, the absurdly greedy Ferengi were created to mirror and comment on American capitalism. Let’s hear it for the money-free socialist future!!!

“Charge it to my account on the Enterprise.”

-Beverly Crusher, Encounter at Farpoint

I won’t even start with other quotes from more essential treks that state money is not important anymore.
But i will say, it’s one thing to have a system in place to facilitate transactions with other cultures, or have a society built around it, whorshipping it like a god, over human live and dignity.

“I won’t even start with other quotes from more essential treks that state money is not important anymore.”

I thought Commander Grayson on The Orville explained it best when she said (I don’t remember the exact quote) that after money became obsolete, people’s reputations became their “currency.”

I guess that’s pretty much like Picard’s “Money is no longer a driving force in our lives. We work to better ourselves and the rest of humanity,” but I liked Grayson’s version better.

I hope this also gets more people interested in Star Trek and space flight. Good marketing for the franchise.

I hope the other Star Trek captains get a chance to go to space.

10/13/2021
Congratulations Mr. William Shatner the oldest man to go into space, the finial frontier!
You are and forever will be the greatest Captain of the Enterprise.

She packed my bags last night pre-flight
Zero hour 9:00 a.m.
And I’m gonna be high
As a kite by then

I miss the Earth so much I miss my wife
It’s lonely out in space
On such a timeless flight…

And I think it’s gonna be a long, long time
‘Til touchdown brings me ’round again to find
I’m not the man they think I am at home
Oh, no, no, no
I’m a rocket man
Rocket man, burning out his fuse up here alone

Make this canon in Star Trek, declare William Shatner as ancestor of Capt. Kirk and have him spoken the prologue!

Once Shatner found his voice, he was actually pretty eloquent. Congrats to Blue Origin on another successful proof of concept flight.

I’m hoping to be on one of those in the next few years!

I think we’ll have a long wait before these are available to those of us who are not celebrities or billionaires.

I’m not holding my breath, there, and neither should you. None of us will ever get one of these rides.

well..maybe they’ll have a coupon day or something..

My rich buddy on BOGO day? Oh, wait, I don’t have a rich buddy….

Don’t count on it. I’m planning to become a billionaire just for that.

But then again, if rich people did not fly in the 1930s-1960s (and world wars happen), we would not have low-cost airlines…

The day is coming when people will come and go from mother earth, likely in my granddaughters lifetime. It certainly won’t be in mine.

After the short time between the first flight and the first man on the moon, you would have expect to come further half a century later.

It’s about 66 miles from my home to Dodger Stadium. My Ford Ranger seats four, and the trip will take about four gallons of gas, one way. Shatners trip, also about 66 miles, likely required tens of thousands of gallons of fuel, hundreds of millions of dollars worth of facilities and (self flying) equipment, dedicated ground support crews, and FAA clearance to fly. And it’s still a rocket. Much more powerful and efficient then the rockets the Germans built during WWII, but still a rocket. It takes a lot of effort to get something off this rock and into orbit. We need something better then chemical rockets to be flying around the solar system – and according to Trek lore, we’re only about forty years away from Warp Drive. A half century later, there are limits to what we can currently do outside low earth orbit, even with current technology.

“After the short time between the first flight and the first man on the moon, you would have expect to come further half a century later.”

It’s 2021. Where TF are the flying cars we were expecting 21 years ago?

Meanwhile in the Amazon workers Union … Shatner goes to space, whats a union?

I am kind of surprised that no one’s commenting on how Amazon’s bad practices made Shatners life changing experience possible. I guess most people would forgive a Ferengi if he shot a celebrity of theirs into space.

There’s a time and place for everything. Clearly bitching on Amazon here and now is clearly not the proper place and time.

Actually, this is the place. While Shatner is enjoying his ride on a certain male body part shaped rocket into space, (fitting for his ego), Amazon workers have few bathroom breaks, exposed to dangerous working conditions, forced to make ridiculous and unrealistic deadlines.

But, let’s ignore the anguish of the people who sent him to space. Let’s not talk about the real issues that affect people.

How very Starfleet of us!

Those are important issues. So, how do you propose we change Amazon’s treatment of its workers here in this Trekmovie comment section? Are you starting a petition? Where do we sign?

Or perhaps stop drooling over Shatner’s ego trip and at least recognize the real price that was paid for this so called galactic publicity stunt.

Or at least show some kind of outrage or at least stop feeding his big giant head. Seriously!

Oh I apologize for being a buzz kill, but there is a time and place for this and I’m wrong for bringing anything up that is uncomfortable, Im sure the employees are going to sleep better knowing their sweat and tears sent him to the final frontier. It was unstarfleet of me to bring this to the attention of the website.

I will end my conversation so you may return to your celebration.

Live Long and Prosper

But first let’s deal with how the US didn’t even take a breath before deciding to secretly import slave labor using Nazi rocket scientists to goose their space program and even made their card carrying Nazi leader the head of NASA’s rocket program.

Its actually More than the bathroom Breaks. Current Reports about blaue origin itsself are Not that flattering.

The difference is:
Amazons Terrible working conditions are right now, Nazi space Scientist is the past.

Speaking Out against Amazon can actually change Something. Speaking Out against Nazi rockets cant Change anything.

And when you ask what we can do here in the comment section, the answer is:
Well, Not much, but at least we can mention it, talk about it and Not pretend this isnt a thing….

Precisely,

Star Trek fans can first deal with the collective guilt from the US space program which they’ve chosen to entwine with STAR TREK space origin lore. It hid Nazi war criminals, who didn’t metaphorically work their slave laborers to death but actually did it. Then used the fruits of their labors , under the command of von Braun, to launch V-2 rockets at England killing American allies. Such was the actual cost of getting Americans on the moon.

Also, let me bring you up to date, slave labor and war criminals still exist in this world and need to be addressed just a wee bit more than Amazon pee breaks.

I am always Up for a good old Game of Whataboutism?

Lets Stop talking about any Problems Till we figured Out how to Deal With Killing of Jesus…. What about that?

Re: Whataboutism

You state the obvious, because that’s exactly how you introduced this whole Amazon’s Space Program is built on the backs of metaphorical slave labor business, in the first place.

I dont think you actually understand what Whataboutism is.

Anyway…. Enough spacenazi derailing.

You basically started this whole thing with the implied “(Whatabout) Amazon workers’ Union?” to attack Shatner and his space trek. What’s not to get?

Re derailed

Why? Only Amazon workers’ Union derailments allowed? Who made you the derailing gatekeeper?

Besides, I haven’t finished updating you.

The PRC currently has a thriving manned Space program, slave labor, and slave labor camps:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/06/24/fact-sheet-new-u-s-government-actions-on-forced-labor-in-xinjiang/

Those who refuse to learn from the past because it is past, condemn the world to relive its far greater injustices, while distracting it with lesser ones whose lot would improve if the greater ones were addressed first.

dude… you are just using the words I use and try to mirror them.
Whats your point.

There is no “derailing” when you bring up amazons working conditions in a comment that tells that Shatner is going to space is a perfect tool, to distract the public from the shit that is happening right now.

What you are doing on the other hand is: you bring up something entirely different to invalidate the criticism towards amazon.

You do not add anything. You are just fooling around.
The point you mention is something absolutley worth talking about, in the right context. But the context isnt given here.

The Context is Amazon, Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos …

Arg geez. Why am I even reacting to you. You brought up nothing worth of discussing in this particular context.

The problem, for me, is the Amazon workers Union, that you introduced, actually exists – outside of North America. And doesn’t suffer from any of the problems which you enumerate.

Your Union, must be a strawman created just so you could, off topic, rain on Shatner’s and his fans eticker tape parade?

Also, do not presume support from me for Amazon’s egregious business practices, just because I object to the inappropriate manner in which you attempt to introduce them, here. However, your continual denial that one contributing factor is Amazon’s attempt to compete against actual slave labor using competitors, I find disturbing in contrast to your protests that you are actually showing support for laborers’ rights.

I actually did Not say anything against Shatner and His fans. This ist Something you entirely Made up.

Everything I Said was: the Amazon civilians in space Programm ist a fine way to distract from their Problems.

And than you came and blew everything totally out of proportions…

For example: you say that the Amazon workers Union exists outside(!) North america and not suffers from the Problems I enumerated.

Which Problems have I enumerated again? So because there is a Union Outside North America everything ist fine? Do you really believe These Unions are totally Happy With Amazon?
Why do you assume Just because I critisize Amazons working condititions I compare Them With slavery?

So many Stuff that ist only discussed Here because of your Interpretation.

I also never did say you support Amazons practices. Yet you See the need to defend yourself.

Keep it real Dude….

Re:slavery

You need to check the definition of metaphor. It dies not mean what you apparently think it does.

Re:Misunderstanding

Maybe, I misunderstood you, but you seemed to come across loud and clear, that everyone involved in this celebration should feel guilty about this way of getting into space.

My obvious counterpoint, was there’s plenty to feel guilty about in the previous space program iteration.

Your response was can’t do anything about past but you were going to solve all of Amazon’s problems by hijacking this celebratory thread

Now, unless you have some evidence Shatner was compensated beyond the ticket with a position on Amazon’s board or preferred voting stock, all I see you doing is swinging at easy low hanging fruit trying to raise awareness, here, when you should have brought this all up, more appropriately, back when TrekMovie announced CBS had signed a deal allowing Amazon Prime International to carry some of their new Trek streaming product. There we could discuss, appropriately, how CBS was profiting from the plight of North American Amazon workers, etc.

Re: Against Shatner

You claimed Shatner, who headed more than a few business enterprises and is a lifelong UK citizen, was too dim to know what a “union” was. Sorry, but I view that as a slam. And if I’m not mistaken you just called him a “tool”?

You may have kept it passive-aggressive, but as you say, “Keep it real, Dude.”

Re: Against Shatner

And let’s not forget, a dues paying member of the Screen Actor’s Guild, too.

Re:…Not pretend this isnt a thing….

Why not? Isn’t prentending this wasn’t a thing exactly what you were doing in every post on this site, which is partially funded by Amazon klickthrus, where you failed to bring this up, before?

As I have pointed out, you picked some really low hanging fruit, here, to suddenly paraphrase Segar and rise up with, “I’ve had all that I can stands, and I can’t stands no more!”

The sincerity of your dedication to spreading Amazon workers’ wokeness at this site, seems dubious, at best? I think you’ve made it clear you have a problem with Bezos’ Space Program and want to derail the comments, here, by spreading some guilt. I’ve countered that, so please move on to where your Anti-Amazon message can be more effectively and righteously be made and discussed.

Also, as touched as I am by your concern that Shatner, unwittingly, is being an Amazon tool, I think both men are each using the other to their own ends.

“Meanwhile in the Amazon workers Union … Shatner goes to space, whats a union?”

The Planetary Union?

Did anyone else hear the news commentator claim Shatner had traveled “the whole intergalactic
universe” or something along those lines? lol

I heard one say he was going at warp speed 😄
Whatever. I’m delighted he had this experience and equally delighted that Bill, and all on board, came back safely.

I didn’t, but kinda tuned them out when they kept gushing about “ordinary people” getting into space “soon”. That’s just not going to happen.

And yet that’s what people said in the 1920s when only the wealthy flew in airplanes.

The 20’s were WWI pilots barnstorming the US in biplanes. Commercial aviation didn’t really take off until the 50’s, with air travel only becoming available to the masses in the late 60’s/early 70’s when ticket prices became more affordable. Bezos/Musk/Branson won’t be in a bidding war to drive down prices – they need 300-400K a head, likely just to cover some of the costs. That’s not going to change anytime soon.

It will happen for most people, just not for us Trekkies. No one wants to be cooped up with people that whiny for even fifteen minutes. ;-)

Well, it depends what they mean by soon. It will be available to the masses some day, but for the foreseeable future it will remain for billionaires and celebrities.

Imagine how less time passed between the first flight of the Wrigtht brothers and the first man on the moon. Less than one lifespan.From that point of view people in1969 would have thought in 2021 we would already have colonies on Mars and ordinary people would easily get into space.
I was going to write that Bill Shater in his Star Trek days would have never dreamed about going into space in real life, when that idea came into my mind. The future evolved very differently than people imagined in the 60s. Everbody uses a little computer in his hands but we haven’t come that far in space nor do we use flying cars.

So, you don’t see this popping up as a travel prize on WHEEL OF FORTUNE or THE PRICE IS RIGHT any time soon?

Oh, the Amazon shills? They were so irritating. But I was happy it went well for Shatner, he was so giddy about going. I liked that he made fun of people who wanted to play with marbles or whatever in their brief minutes in zero g. I’m like him – I’d be glued to the window marveling at it all!

The world’s a big blue marble, when you see it from up there…

Ian, you summed it all up perfectly.

He’s been in the public eye for decades but this is the first time I’ve ever seen him this emotional. He’s reaction and his comments were likely a reflection of how most of us would have responded to the same experience.

And, yeah, my eyes would have been glued to the window as well. “Put down the marbles! We’re in space!”

Congrats to Blue Origin on another successful launch and return of New Shepard NS-18.

Also happy to hear Shatner’s initial thoughts after egressing the spacecraft. Although understandably overwhelmed, he did his best to impart and put into words what he was feeling. Much appreciation. Btw, he did say one thing that I hope Blue Origin does eventually follow up on. One day, I hope we see a virtual reality 3D simulation of a NS flight.

Just as an FYI, the Apollo 11 VR experience for PC, Quest and Playstation VR recreates numerous moments from the Apollo 11 mission including the blastoff. You’re in the cockpit and experience everything from the eyes of one of the astronauts. It also recreates the lunar landing, splashdown and over parts of the mission.

The Mission ISS VR experience for PC or Quest lets you tour the inside of the ISS in a 1:1 recreation or put on an MMU and go for a spacewalk around the outside of the structure.

There are others as well. Obviously not as good as the real thing but still good enough to give you a sense of what it must feel like to go up to and be in space and almost certainly the closest I’ll ever get.

He boldly went and came back to tell the tale! Well done Mr. Shatner.

He now has a good appreciation of just how blue and fragile our little orb must seem in the blackest of black space.

They delayed the trip to avoid running into any space ribbons.

If William Shatner, at age 90, isn’t too old to be shot into friggin space, then he can play Captain Kirk in more than just a cameo.

Excellent point.

Truly heartwarming. His awe afterwards was contagious. The Captain.

Have to give Shatner (and the other “crewmembers”) credit for having nerve enough to fly that rocket. This is more inspiring than seeing him suit up as Kirk again. Well done.

That 38s New Shepard Mission NS-18: Apogee video only has 50K views! They need more cameras, with a fish-eye on the ceiling.
The capsule is only 15 m^3 and was pretty crowded for just three floaties. Six passengers no way.

I had the same impression. You don’t see that much what’s going on inside nor that much of space or their view of space. Nor how it looked from the outside. So much $ spent but saved money on such details.

Hate to be negative… but if every human needs to have the experience of seeing how fragile earth is, if everyone needs to burn tons of fossil fuels to see that we should’nt…
We are screwed.

New Shepard is fueled with Liquid Hydrogen.

Just saw it on the german tv-news. Everybody mentions that he didn’t use his Star Trek uniform or the colour of his classic uniform. Yet they don’t noticed that his Blue-Origin-uniform isn’t that far away from that uniform in ENT.

There was some really self-centred, inconsiderate and disrespectful behaviour while William Shatner was trying to describe his experience. First Bezos rudely interrupted a clearly emotional Shatner at length because Bezos apparently thought spraying champagne was more important. And then Bezos’s girlfriend tried to hijack the situation by gatecrashing the shot and repeatedly standing in proximity right in front of the camera focused on Shatner, all while Shatner was still trying to express his thoughts. Idiotic behaviour by the power couple.

More positively, it’s a relief that Shatner made it back safe and sound, given his age and the inherent dangers of rockets. The journey into space was obviously a deeply moving and possibly life-changing experience for him. As other commenters here have mentioned, his stream-of-consciousness remarks were incredibly eloquent. NASA astronauts have famously described seeing Earth from space as having a similar impact on them. As the space industry develops and increasing numbers of regular people around the world (eventually) get the chance for safe suborbital and orbital travel, it’ll be interesting to see the effect that the shift in perspectives has on human culture and global priorities. Hopefully the consequences will be transformative in a positive way.

In the meantime, I’m glad our very own William Shatner was able to experience space for himself, after so many years identified with his most famous role. You’ve got to feel happy for him — and, let’s admit it, maybe grin a little smugly too as Star Trek fans ;)

So say we all!

Different franchise, I know, but it works.

It really was quite a contrast in behavior between Shatner and the rest of them. Shatner clearly had a meaningful, dare I say spiritual, admittedly life-changing experience. And the rest of them, including Bezos, were hooting and cavorting about, spraying champagne on each other like teenagers after a home-team football victory.

I suppose it demonstrates that the ability to accomplish a feat doesn’t necessarily come with any deeper understanding of what it means.

At least Bezos finally stopped and listened to what Shatner had to say.

Not to get political, but it also strikes me as a demonstration of the inherent limitations of capitalism, watching Bezos and his friends play with the most expensive toy ever made while his employees around the country have to urinate in bottles and defecate in bags because he’s working them to death. It reminds me of TNG “The Most Toys” (S3, E22).

In any case, long live the Shat! I loved what he had to say about his experience. He’s clearly a thoughtful man and I find him to be a great inspiration.

“Riiiiiiisk is our business!”

…and business is good!!!
Risk? No, that album came 13 years later. ;-) 13? No, that’s another album too.

Well, unfortunately, George Takei couldn’t resist the cheap shot when asked about Shatners short trek. Would it have killed you to just say you’re happy for him instead of getting bitchy about it?

I completely agree horrible words from George I’ve lost all respect for him just a very bitter old man.

He wasted a perfect opportunity to be magnanimous. Instead Takei chose to be petty and vindictive. Quite pathetic and speaks loudly on his lack of character. Shatner has his faults, as we all do and as we see so does Takei, but he should, once and for all, shut the F up about Shatner and move on.

What a sad, pathetic, jealous little man Takei has become. The depths he will sink to just to get a little attention are truly disgraceful.

Totally agreed. What a small, vindictive little man.

It seems like he is getting worse in old age while Shatner is getting better. I also lost a bit of respect for Takei in this. But then again, he was always the one that seemed to needlessly continue his feud while Shatner did offer him an olive branch in many instances.

The Shat did more in a few minutes describing space than a lot of others. It was truly amazing. He made you want to feel what he did. This is why you should sent artists up also.

I know he is a complicated man. But I had a deep appreciation of what he was trying to explain. Truly awesome.

Agreed, and in fact I think this is the reason why Shatner is misunderstood in general. He seems to feel everything but has difficulty to truly express these feelings and I believe this is why he comes across as egotistical for most outsiders.

I’m a bit disappointet that he did not return as a skydiver to prove that he is still young ;-)

Whoop De Doo. A glorified amusement park ride doing nothing new or different than Alan Shephard did over 60 years ago, and all to bathe the ego of at least two men, one of whom had the balls to thank Amazon’s customers for making the first flight possible (then tried to back out and say it was a joke). I don’t get the adulation, and I’m a lifelong Trek fan back to first round of syndication days, so TOS is special to me. But much as some might think or wish otherwise, Shatner isn’t Kirk. What the hell is so special about this? What landmark does this represent – a new high in lows? Did we all grow up thinking and hoping that egotistical old men and corporate greedsters would get to go to space?

Born in the 1950s the current state of space industrialist affairs was exactly the future presented to me in sf films such as, WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE, DESTINATION MOON, and others of the era. I will confess, after a long while, I started to wonder if maybe Pal and others whiffed it. But a long came Branson Bezos and Musk – Nailed it!

Re: Special

I’m confused with the logic you are attempting to apply here?

I saw most of the first series’ episodes as they aired for the first time ever, in the US, on NBC. Does that make it double extra super special for me?

Re:Kirk

FWIW Bezos favorite Trek captain is Picard.

Shatner isn’t a fictional character, true. But he IS a real 90 year old man that broke space records and earned his astronaut wings. May you live long enough to do likewise.