William Shatner is going to space. For real.

[Funkworks]

If any one of those darn -illionaires deserves it, I say it's him.
https://www.npr.org/2021/10/04/1043055911/william-shatner-space-flight-blue-origin-new-shepard

 

[boomtube-mk2]

In space, no one can hear your knees creak.

 

[cerving]

Hope it's soon... he IS 90, after all...

 

[rharshberger]

Meh! Its a Blue Origin amusement ride...

 

[ThirstyBarbarian]

He’s gonna crap a Captain‘s Log.

 

[Mushtang]

Barely into space, for a few minutes. Not into orbit. Not on an actual mission. Just another test flight as far as I care.

I wonder how long before BO gets to where they can actually put someone into orbit? That will be much more impressive than these joy rides.

 

[ThirstyBarbarian]

Hopefully he shows up for the flight wearing his Starfleet uniform.

 

[ThirstyBarbarian]

Are they going to let him have his usual chair?

 

[cerving]

Maybe they can have a Star Trek reunion launch... if they can get enough original cast members.

 

[Rob Campbell]

Hopefully he shows up for the flight wearing his Starfleet uniform.

Nope. He can't fit into it anymore.

 

[jqavins]

Meh! Its a Blue Origin amusement ride...

Sure. And what's wrong with an amusement ride? Not a real space mission? OK, true, just a space amusement ride. I don't see the problem. (At least it's over the Karman line; stuff it Branson!)

I wonder how long before BO gets to where they can actually put someone into orbit? That will be much more impressive than these joy rides.

Yes, those future orbital joy rides will indeed be much more impressive than these suborbital ones.

Even though they're not important in most any way, I still think it's cool that joy rides to space are a thing now. Who here wouldn't take one if we had the chance?

 

[SecondRow]

I’ll happily take a seat to go on an amusement ride barely into space.

 

[GregGleason]

Well, at least he won’t be burning up his fuse up there alone.

 

[teepot]

I didn't know he was 90.

 

[Zeus-cat]

They are gonna need extra fuel

 

[bobby_hamill]

Would be nice if shatner takes along some ashes of late Leonard nimoy

 

[BABAR]

Barely into space, for a few minutes. Not into orbit. Not on an actual mission. Just another test flight as far as I care.

I wonder how long before BO gets to where they can actually put someone into orbit? That will be much more impressive than these joy rides.

If I had the money to burn, I think I’d take a shot, even for the few minutes.

 

[Grog6]

Some of doohan, sagan, and a few others ashes have quietly been landed on the moon and other places as ballast, sealed inside structures.


I keep having a dream about jacking a Falcon heavy, stealing Elon's tesla on my way to mars, landing on mars and do donuts until I run out of charge.
I never Quite make it back, so it's a neat dream.

 

[jqavins]

Three words:

Solar.
Powered.
Charger.

 

[MikeT]

All it takes is money.

Mike

 

[Stewman]

@Funkworks - Totally agree. Tickled to see him get this opportunity. Maybe he will slip in a "Warp One Mr. Sulu".

 

[tfrielin]

Depends of your definition of space---

In the '60s, the USAF defined it as 50 miles up so X-15 pilots could qualify for Astronaut Wings.

Similarly arbitrary is the more recent "Karman Line" at about 62 miles, again, suited for rides like Bezos and Branson to claim they "entered space."

I prefer a line of 400,000 feet (75.75 miles) which is Entry Interface---the level where a satellite in orbit meets the sensible top of the atmosphere and starts to encounter frictional heating is is dragged out of orbit.

If you don't exceed 75.75 miles, you haven't "entered space."

Neither Branson nor Bezos have achieved anything like a real space flight as did Musk with his orbital flight last month. That's a real "space flight" being in orbit and all.

Just sayin'.

 

[MikeT]

I'm not going to lose any sleep over it. Just my 2 cents.

Mike

 

[Michael L]

I wonder if he'll yell BEZO's into the camera if something doesn't go right. BO is the only choice at the moment. The galactic spinner is grounded. His kids and grandkids will miss that chunk of inheritance.

 

[afadeev]

Goof for him.
Yeah, it's a joy ride. Orbital or not, it would still be a joy ride.

But if it's fun enough for him to pay for the ride (it clearly is), and since this in no way diminishes my personal enjoyment of life, I say it's a net positive event for the humanity.
And good publicity for space in general.

 

[jqavins]

Maybe he will slip in a "Warp One Mr. Sulu".

Wait, is George going to?

Depends of your definition of space---

In the '60s, the USAF defined it as 50 miles up so X-15 pilots could qualify for Astronaut Wings.

Similarly arbitrary is the more recent "Karman Line" at about 62 miles, again, suited for rides like Bezos and Branson to claim they "entered space."

I prefer a line of 400,000 feet (75.75 miles) which is Entry Interface---the level where a satellite in orbit meets the sensible top of the atmosphere and starts to encounter frictional heating is is dragged out of orbit.

If you don't exceed 75.75 miles, you haven't "entered space."

Neither Branson nor Bezos have achieved anything like a real space flight as did Musk with his orbital flight last month. That's a real "space flight" being in orbit and all.

Satellites much higher than that encounter enough air friction to make their orbits decay given enough time. That's why any LEO satellite that doesn't have propulsion on board is short lived.

Space weather changes the density of the atmosphere at "edge of space" altitudes, which means that both the Karman Line (100 km) and the Entry Interface (400,000 ft) are arbitrary values within the range of a physical effect. "Wings aren't helping you any more" if you're on the way up, or "Things get hot" if you're coming down. The USAF 50 mile line is an arbitrary figure based on how high they could fly, and nothing else (as far as I know).

400,000 ft makes as much sense, and only as much sense, to me as 100 km. Since 100 km is the international consensus figure (except for some backward hold-outs like the US) I'll keep using that. But to each his own.

 

[boomtube-mk2]

They are gonna need extra fuel

The same people that will burn a bazillion gallons of highly refined kerosene so they can brag to their peers about "Going into 'space'", are the same people that will demonize you for driving a hundred miles to a rocket launch and burning five gallons of gasoline.

 

[Cnorm]

Just in case anyone hasn't seen Shatner covering Elton's Rocketman. It's a classic.

 

[Salvage-1]

KHAAAAAAAAAAAAN't get up out of this chair

 

[Ez2cDave]

I wonder if he'll yell BEZO's into the camera if something doesn't go right.

You mean the way he yelled "KHAN" ?

Dave F.