Originally published at: William Shatner is going to space on Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin rocket | Boing Boing
…
4 Likes
Does anyone else find it ironic that the captain from star trek (a show synonymous in my mind with fully automated luxury space communism) is going to space on a rocket built out of a feudal lord’s exploitation of a late stage capitalist system?
38 Likes
I give a pass on this one for Shatner, but no more after this William.
20 Likes
I question the ability of Shatner’s 90-year old body to withstand 6 g’s. Wally Funk was already tempting fate.
17 Likes
Maybe, but did you forget Riker’s conversation with Dr. Cochrane (inventor of the warp drive) in First Contact?
29 Likes
Wasn’t Star Trek based on the premise that it first had to get totally horrible on Earth before that utopia was possible?
Shatner has to say hi to Gene Roddenberry when he is up there.
7 Likes
Tasteless as this may be, perhaps he’s aiming for a first whole-body ‘burial’ in space? 
7 Likes
No two ways about it, Shatner loves publicity with a white hot passion.
25 Likes
His support girdle won’t help with that?
13 Likes
There are limits.
16 Likes
Yeah, but Leela’s bra held up just fine.
Maybe it’s powered by badassitude, or existential angst.
9 Likes
There’s no way Shatner is fit enough to withstand the g-force of takeoff. I hope the trip doesn’t kill him.
4 Likes
The biggest danger will be at 20,000 feet
23 Likes
Think they will make everyone else wear a red shirt?
23 Likes
I’m not sure why you’d say that. Are you a flight doctor? From my armchair and in all fairness we’ve never sent anyone his age before and the closest next person did fine. They will obviously do a bunch of test runs in simulators and jets before they go up. That’s SOP AFAIK with both BO and SpaceX for civilian flights.
Most of our assumptions about “who can go into space?” Come from an era where “only the most rugged perfectly fit MEN” were even considered, but as it turns out allot of those assumptions were based on the ignorance of a bygone era.
Also, I say this allot to remind people to temper our ageist assumptions… we don’t age like we used to even just 50-60 years ago. Our diets, lifestyles and medical advances have made it possible to enjoy being active much, much later in life.
Shatner can afford ALL of the best medical care and examinations and if he were in any danger they will discover the problem before they launch. He can chose to ignore the recommendations, but honestly I couldn’t think of a better way to go anyway.
9 Likes
The 6 g’s in that flight profile is the momentary jerk felt when the parachute first opens. Humans can withstand pretty impressively high g’s for short periods of time.
The powered launch starts off at about 1.5 g’s and as the weight of fuel decreases the acceleration slowly increases over 2 minutes to a peak of about 3 g’s before the engine cuts off. Compared to an old space shuttle launch that lasts almost 9 minutes and peaks at 4 g’s, or a SpaceX orbital launch with a similar profile to the shuttle, it’s relatively mild.
11 Likes
Dammit, Jim! I’m a publicity hound, not a doctor!
19 Likes
He’s a dick.
9 Likes
Can confirm. My wife talked with him about a book forward once. He was a complete ass to her. Primo diva dickhead.
15 Likes
I feel pretty good about this - hope he’s up to it.
Though I might rather that Nimoy was around for it. He could search for contemporary mysteries.
16 Likes
