T. J. Hooker
In Space
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Also I think it is worth noting BO employs about 4000 people, mostly at high wage jobs. The nature of work they do will develop unique skills transportable to other domains. Contrast this with the other favourite sport of billionaires, acquiring real or intellectual property to derive rent from. You don’t have to like Bezos ( or Musk or Jobs or Gates or … ) to benefit from their existence. Don’t like their labour practices, or the amount of tax they pay? Talk to your lawmakers, that’s their department.
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Right on cue…
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Given that Ben Carson is an (apparently very good) neurosurgeon, I think I would go with Doctor.
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Well I should clarify that the creation of a reliable launch vehicle, rocket engines, etc, all have important scientific work that will probably be directly built upon.
But the “just going up and and back down with a bunch of rich people/celebrities/token person of importance for PR” isn’t particularly useful. I guess the early Mercury and Vostok launches were basically the same thing, but we had no idea what we would encounter or if one could even function in space.
Fair point that this renewed interest in space will inspire people.
Another good point. I suppose once spaceflight is common enough that anyone could use it (similar to air travel), it will be something many if not most people could enjoy. But while I do like the various private space projects, it still just feels more like a super yacht that only a handful can actually attain.
I actually do partly share your enthusiasm and have similar optimism. But, I also have a bit of an icky feeling about it. 
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This link has an article with a video and transcript of how Shatner was reacting when they arrived back on Earth. My immediate impression was the same thing @cepheus42 pointed out. Just the…gross? contrast between Shatner looking alone and going through one the most intense mental/emotional experiences of his life, and everyone partying in the background for Instagram. Yuck.
That Overview Effect is real intense stuff.
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If Elysium became a thing I’m sure some of us down on the surface could find a way to hit it with a big rock.
I’m less sure about that.
But definitely we’d find ways of stealing their internet and cable TV.
Are you proposing letting the “poors” run the off world vessels as opposed to billionaires?
sorry, but i can’t hate this. seeing him come out of that capsule, clearly dazed by his experience, trying to process it, and then actually coming to tears when trying to talk about it, was a wonderful thing. he’s a famous human, but he’s human after all, and he was humbled by the experience. it’s rare to have WFS be at a loss for words, but he was, and i thought it was a worthwhile gesture to send a fictional starship captain, who has inspired so many, into actual space for a few seconds as a way of saying thanks.
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The billionaires are already proposing that. Who else are they going to get to excrete blood for their martian concrete?
“Oh dear, we need to build a stadium.”
"But Elon - "
“Lord Musk. How many times do I have to tell you.”
“Sorry, Lord Musk. But why do we need a stadium? We don’t have enough people to field one sports team, let alone two.”
“What Lord Musk wants, Lord Musk gets. Tell the peasants I’ll need donations right away.”
(sigh) “Yes, Lord Musk. Hey Richie! Get the robotic phlebotomist out, we’re going to run another draw!”
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I hope we never get to that point unless we make major breakthroughs in carbon-neutral rocket fuel first. Typical recreational air travel is bad enough, but a rocket usually emits hundreds of tons of CO2 per launch.
The Bezos rocket mostly uses hydrogen and oxygen for fuel so I guess it at least has the potential to be somewhat green if they end up generating the fuel with solar-powered electrolysis, but currently the vast majority of hydrogen in the US is a extracted from fossil fuels.
Thanks. Wanted to say much of this, but you said it better.
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Shatner has always seemed like a jerk to me. But, I’m impressed. I hope I can still wipe my own ass at 90, let alone ride a giant mechanical dick to almost space.
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Do posthumous trips count?
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Perhaps one browned trouser. Shatner behaved a bit oddly once in micro-G. Seemed to want to stay in his seat.
I met a guy who was an experienced scuba diver who did a 200 foot deep dive [1] to celebrate his 80th birthday. I must’ve had a look on my face, because he said “Well, I’ve always wondered what it looked like, and, well, I’m over 80. Nobody at my funeral is going to say ‘Oh, it was too soon!’”
I like to imagine Shatner had similar thoughts.
[1] That’s deep. Really deep. You have to have your sh*t together, because there are so very few small mistakes at that depth.
Nope, hence the use of living
That lovely quote Shatner tweeted from up there is attributed to Isaac Newton by the way. I hope nobody thinks he came up with it by himself. Also, I bet Bezos would have rather sent the late great Leonard Nimoy up there instead.
