Space Tourism: Captain Kirk aftermath from Bezos BO Rocket, hey not bad for 90

by Screenmancer

Captain James T. Kirk actor William Shatner, 90, lit out for “Space the final frontier” for real on Oct. 13, 2021, a Wednesday afternoon, courtesy of Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos, owner of the Amazon empire. For approximately 11 minutes, the pop culture Captain went far enough into the stratosphere to “see Earth” from 66 and 1/2 miles above the big blue marble. But what happened when he came back? Serious discussions, and some not so serious commentary. But first, let’s recap the bunny hop up to 107 kilometers above it all.

All this from near Van Horn, Texas, where this Blue Origin rocket exploded off a west desert launch pad.Bezos was on hand to lock the hatch, and greet Shatner and crew upon arrival with a comment reporter by AP (Associated Press) as “Hello, Astronauts. Welcome to Earth.”

Bezos perhaps used this welcome-back to reference the NASA kerfuffle that his four-person crew, which left Earth July 20, 2021 in the New Shepard capsule for their own quick space hop, could not be given the designation ‘Astronaut’ due to 1000 hours of required training and some other hoops to jump through for the official label to apply. Be that as it may, William Shatner was beyond thrilled.

Shatner said, “What you (Jeff Bezos) have given me is the most profound experience. I hope I never recover from this. I hope that I can maintain what I feel now. I don’t want to lose it,” according to AP.

Since his days as a McGill University student from Canada, William Shatner found fame on hit American TV series “Star Trek” from producer Gene Roddenberry. Original series creator Roddenberry wrote the character of Captain Kirk as the frontman of a six-person core crew.

Little known to the fans of the series, in October of 1992 NASA astronaut James Weatherbee brought some of Roddenberry’s cremated remains, his ashes along with other of Gene’s personal mementos, all the way to Earth orbit during a Space Shuttle Columbia flight. Roddenberry’s influence has been that far-reaching, beyond just a TV series on air originally from ’66 to ’69 fronted by one James Tiberius Kirk as captain.

At least William Shatner was alive when he got to take his space jump Weds.

But former cast mate George Takei fired back at the newly minted space traveler after this historic flight via Twitter. In yet another round in their ongoing social media feud, Takei posted a few roasters for the road trip to Space. Takei, former USS Enterprise crew member, told the NY Post’s “Page Six” that the good Captain had only retraced steps “where other people had gone before” as a bit player in the Billionaires’ Space Race. 

HRH Prince William of the Royal Family chimed in post-flight, with his view in the aftermath of Shatner’s flight as frivolous in face of here-on-Earth problems. The former Admiral Kirk, a position he rose to the in the Star Trek movie franchise first directed by legendary helmer Robert Wise, shot back via TV program “Entertainment Tonight” to agree to disagree.

While the 90 year old claimed to understand the Senior Royal’s sentiments, he said the Prince “got the wrong idea” about the jump above Earth, as it is important in Space Tourism development.

Shatner said, via ET (not the extra-terrestrial, but the TV show), “I would tell the Prince, and I hope the Prince gets the message, this is a baby step into the idea of getting industry up there. So that all those polluting industries, especially, for example, the industries that make electricity… (can be stationed) off of Earth.”

This Billionaire-backed race to beyond the blue fringes of Earth’s orbit might be doing eco-research, but it certainly appears to be an ego trip, rather an eco trip. As our planet’s upper stratosphere has been recently impinged upon by Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galatic summer in flight first, followed by Bezos in July, with SpaceX founder Elon Musk following – but not taking his own ride on – Inspiration4. 

With all due respect to Captain Kirk and Bezos, the fact that Elon Musk is the only one not to hog a space flight from his own company is noteworthy. Inspiration4 which launched on Sept. 15, 2021 from Kennedy Space Center on the Space Coast in Florida, is perhaps the one that will really pave the way for Space tourism, as the only hop off the blue ball here with only civilians aboard.

As far as William Shatner at 90 in space? Hey, we’re just glad he stopped hearts for 11 minutes while up there.

Fans and non-fans alike were glad the old man in blue suit come back with Captain Kirk’s usual smirk.

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Since we are the first outlet to cover Space Entertainment, as part show/performance and part business, stay tuned for more Space Entertainment coverage from Screenmancer as China leads the plume into the skies next with a 41-year-old female astronaut, Wang Yaping, who in the parlance of the Chinese Space program is known as a “taikonaut” from the word “taik” for Space and the Greek “naut” for sailor.

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Full disclosure: Screenmancer was a contender in SpaceX Inspiration4’s rocket seat competition. Although not winning one of the four final seats, we received a VIP invite to the Kennedy Center Launch, cash award, and other swag. However, we will impartially cover all Space Entertainment, as the first outlet to do so.

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