Capt Kirk in Space

[Atticus]

I can't get over this. William Shatner, 90 years young/old, flew in space today. Yeah, it was only a 10-minute ride, but what a great story, and chutzpah from the nonagenarian!
66 miles is UP there!

[Trickstat]

Amazing to think that over half a century since he famously acted being in space he's done it for real.

[jc203]

I'd rather watch Star Trek re-runs than an old codger take an 11-minute, multi-million dollar joy ride sponsored by the richest guy on earth for no useful purpose.

[Atticus]

for no useful purpose.

Am I in the minority that the 'experience' was far from 'useless'?
My most valuable possessions are memories of experiences.

[CookyMonzta]

Am I in the minority that the 'experience' was far from 'useless'?
My most valuable possessions are memories of experiences.

Maybe jc203 thinks it would have been more than "useless" if that ship orbited the Earth at least once. A quick up-and-down trip don't cut it for some of us who watched the shuttles go up in the early-1980s, and for those who watched the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions on television.

[lonewolf]

I don't get the fascination with Shatner being 90 years old. Just makes it easier to strap him in.

[jc203]

Yeah, guess I'm with Cooky and lonewolf... the NASA missions that actually expanded mankind's reach and knowledge were gripping adventures for nearly everyone on earth. But I'm not excited about millionaires blasting up 66-miles, for11-minutes of ooh-ing and ahh-ing about the view and floating around trying not to barf in a zero-grab environment for no particular purpose. Personally, it was a publicity stunt, not an experience.

[lonewolf]

I realize there have been useful inventions/discoveries in space exploration but I think the real value has been in providing goods and jobs. I can't get enthused about spending umpteen miserable years to reach some uninhabitable/unsustainable planet. Earth ain't that bad a place to live.

[gh]

IMG_3849.jpeg

[Conor Dary]

There has to be quite a bit of risk...I wouldn't go..

There were a total of 135 Shuttle missions and 2 ended in catastrophic failures. Those are pretty bad odds.

[18.99s]

There has to be quite a bit of risk...I wouldn't go..

There were a total of 135 Shuttle missions and 2 ended in catastrophic failures. Those are pretty bad odds.

That's about the same as the risk of death if you get Covid.

[bad hammy]

There has to be quite a bit of risk...I wouldn't go..

Dude, like Shatner you're older than dirt and besides, what else are you doing today?

Gotta say that while Musk's ships are way cooler, Bezos gets major props for sending Captain Kirk into space . . .

[Conor Dary]

No matter how old you are...getting blown up in space doesn't sound like fun.

[The Klingon]

Dude, like Shatner you're older than dirt and besides, what else are you doing today?

Gotta say that while Musk's ships are way cooler, Bezos gets major props for sending Captain Kirk into space . . .

Why didn't Captain Kirk have Scotty beam him up?

[bad hammy]

Why didn't Captain Kirk have Scotty beam him up?

Probably trying to avoid Klingons . . .