With the age of house exploration now firmly within the arms of billionaires like Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk — together with their space-oriented corporations — it’s turn out to be simpler than ever to go to house. That stated, the phenomenon continues to be uncommon sufficient that it’s restricted principally to the wealthy and well-known. Or, within the case of William Shatner, the OG Captain Kirk, it doesn’t harm to be each.
Shatner traveled for about 11 minutes final October into house, skilled weightlessness, and got here again to Earth with a renewed sense of surprise for the world. In his preparations for the flight, he made a vow to assist him take up as a lot from the expertise as he might.
Shatner’s trek into house with Blue Origin was free to him
Shatner traveled with Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin on the second human flight the corporate despatched to house. Shatner flew with three different passengers on the New Shepherd rocket. Shatner — maybe due to his portrayal of Star Trek’s Captain Kirk and Bezos’ adoration for the present — didn’t pay for his ticket to house, based on the New York Occasions. The actor, who was 90 on the time of his flight, grew to become the oldest particular person to fly into house.
On Blue Origin flights, passengers are launched and expertise about three to 4 minutes of weightlessness as they journey above the Kármán Line, the internationally acknowledged border to house. The complete journey lasts about 11 minutes, based on Blue Origin’s Twitter web page.
The corporate has up to now not launched figures for the way a lot particular person tickets price, although Bezos has stated the corporate has offered greater than $100 million in personal tickets to an undisclosed variety of individuals, per CNN.
Tickets for comparable flights from Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic vary from $250,000 to $500,000, USA Immediately reported. Journeys that truly go into orbit can price way more, typically with worth tags within the $58 million vary, the publication added.
Shatner vowed to soak in his moments in house
At a latest panel throughout 2022’s Comedian-Con in San Diego, Shatner stated he had promised himself he wouldn’t distract himself simply by floating round in the course of the durations of weightlessness however would goal to get a higher impression of the world from his once-in-a-lifetime expertise.
“I went, and I vowed that each second that I spent in house wouldn’t be enjoying round in weightlessness, however searching the window and making an attempt to get an impression,” Shatner stated, based on The Hollywood Reporter.
When Shatner returned to Earth from his voyage, he had hassle placing the expertise into phrases. “I’m so crammed with emotion,” Shatner advised Bezos whereas describing the sensation of leaving Earth, one other Hollywood Reporter article shared. “I’m overwhelmed. I had no concept.”
The actor additionally appeared to have a renewed ardour for preserving life on this planet fairly than exploring others. When one Comedian-Con attendee requested Shatner which planet he’d most like to go to, he responded, “That is the one f***ing planet we’ve received.”
Shatner is one among a number of celebrities to fly to house in latest months
Shatner is among the most notable celebrities to journey into house, however he’s removed from the one one now that personal corporations have made house journey extra of a chance. Proudly owning one of many house corporations makes it infinitely extra achievable: Bezos traveled on Blue Origin’s first human flight to house in July 2021, and Branson traveled on a Virgin Galactic flight that very same month. (The opposite billionaire house explorer, Musk, has but to journey past Earth’s borders.)
In December, Good Morning America host and former NFL participant Michael Strahan boarded yet one more Blue Origin rocket. Many others have been rumored however have but to verify pending plans — Pete Davidson backed out of a Blue Origin flight within the spring attributable to a schedule battle, and others like Leonardo DiCaprio come up in house exploration conversations however have by no means publicly spoken about shopping for a ticket.
