To Boldly Go Where No Man Has Gone Before (Well, No 90-Year-Old Man)

 

The real Captain Kirk, the beloved William Shatner, has made it to the final frontier for real. At the age of 90, the intrepid Shatner visited space on Blue Origin’s New Shepard mission NS-18 today, Oct. 13, 2021.

Though Shatner is intrepid, he didn’t command the Intrepid. He commanded the Enterprise (and the Enterprise, and the Enterprise). The Intrepid, NCC-1631, had a Vulcan crew.

This historic flight occurred 51 years, one month, and seven days after the first airing of “Star Trek.” In Canada, which got to watch the show two days before we Americans. I don’t know whether or not this was because Shatner is a Canadian.

Shatner became the oldest person to fly in space.

You can watch it here. It’s about 12 minutes long.

Published in Technology
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  1. MiMac Thatcher
    MiMac
    @MiMac

    He should have worn a red shirt….

    • #31
  2. Jerry Giordano (Arizona Patriot) Member
    Jerry Giordano (Arizona Patriot)
    @ArizonaPatriot

    James Lileks (View Comment):

    Jeff Petraska (View Comment):

    The Intrepid, NCC-1631, had a Vulcan crew.

    Emphasis on the word had.

    Ha ha can’t figure out you’re dying from a massive unicellular organism in a self-generated coal sack, look who’s so smart now

    Vulcan-crewed ships seem to have a really bad survival rate in the Trek universe, including Enterprise.  It sometimes seems as if all of them wore red shirts, except Spock, Sarek, and T’Pol.

    Speaking of T’Pol, I think that she was the only major crew member, in any series or movie, who was hotter than the original Uhura.  That includes the reboot Uhura, though Zoe Saldana gave Nichelle a run for her money.

    • #32
  3. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Jerry Giordano (Arizona Patrio… (View Comment):

    James Lileks (View Comment):

    Jeff Petraska (View Comment):

    The Intrepid, NCC-1631, had a Vulcan crew.

    Emphasis on the word had.

    Ha ha can’t figure out you’re dying from a massive unicellular organism in a self-generated coal sack, look who’s so smart now

    Vulcan-crewed ships seem to have a really bad survival rate in the Trek universe, including Enterprise. It sometimes seems as if all of them wore red shirts, except Spock, Sarek, and T’Pol.

    Speaking of T’Pol, I think that she was the only major crew member, in any series or movie, who was hotter than the original Uhura. That includes the reboot Uhura, though Zoe Saldana gave Nichelle a run for her money.

    I guess you can make that argument for MAJOR crew members, anyway.  Cuz who else was there, really?

    Although frankly I would take Sato over Uhura.

    I would take Zoe over Nichelle, too.

    • #33
  4. Jeff Petraska Member
    Jeff Petraska
    @JeffPetraska

    kedavis (View Comment):

    James Lileks (View Comment):

    Jeff Petraska (View Comment):

    The Intrepid, NCC-1631, had a Vulcan crew.

    Emphasis on the word had.

    Ha ha can’t figure out you’re dying from a massive unicellular organism in a self-generated coal sack, look who’s so smart now

    Quite. Although to be fair, as Spock said the organism was much hungrier at that time so it’s possible the Intrepid was destroyed before they saw much. He did say they didn’t know what was killing them. The “or would have understood it, had they known” part is more what reflects poorly on Vulcan intellect.

    Well, you know how emotional those hungry, unicellular organisms can get.  It’s just too much for Vulcans to understand.

    • #34
  5. Victor Tango Kilo Member
    Victor Tango Kilo
    @VtheK

    Jeff Petraska (View Comment):
    Well, you know how emotional those hungry, unicellular organisms can get. 

    Rosie O’Donnell, for example.

    • #35
  6. Clifford A. Brown Member
    Clifford A. Brown
    @CliffordBrown

    I’m happy Captain Kirk made the trip safely. I was a bit worried about the g-force effect on a 90 year old. However, this was an epic fail from the pop culture and PR perspective! They missed the obvious sound track to play once he was clearly OK after boost.

    • #36
  7. Miffed White Male Member
    Miffed White Male
    @MiffedWhiteMale

    • #37
  8. Henry Castaigne Member
    Henry Castaigne
    @HenryCastaigne

    George Takei seems emblematic of the small-minded and grasping jealousy of the left. 

    • #38
  9. Hartmann von Aue Member
    Hartmann von Aue
    @HartmannvonAue

    Henry Castaigne (View Comment):

    George Takei seems emblematic of the small-minded and grasping jealousy of the left.

    Yes, lamentably. 

    • #39
  10. Stad Coolidge
    Stad
    @Stad

    So now space travel consumers have a choice: after touchdown, do you want to be hugged by Bezos or Musk?

    • #40
  11. The Reticulator Member
    The Reticulator
    @TheReticulator

    Stad (View Comment):

    So now space travel consumers have a choice: after touchdown, do you want to be hugged by Bezos or Musk?

    As in health care, we need a public option:  Getting hugged by Biden and Harris after touchdown.  

    • #41
  12. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    The Reticulator (View Comment):

    Stad (View Comment):

    So now space travel consumers have a choice: after touchdown, do you want to be hugged by Bezos or Musk?

    As in health care, we need a public option: Getting hugged by Biden and Harris after touchdown.

    But only if they’re wearing ape costumes.

    • #42
  13. Flicker Coolidge
    Flicker
    @Flicker

    Hartmann von Aue (View Comment):

    Henry Castaigne (View Comment):

    George Takei seems emblematic of the small-minded and grasping jealousy of the left.

    Yes, lamentably.

    And every picture of him shows him holding up a Vulcan salute., but that was never part of his Star Trek character.  He’s spent his life saying, “Look!  I’m Spock!”

    I’m wondering what a dark, dystopian Galaxy Quest would have been like.

    • #43
  14. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Flicker (View Comment):

    Hartmann von Aue (View Comment):

    Henry Castaigne (View Comment):

    George Takei seems emblematic of the small-minded and grasping jealousy of the left.

    Yes, lamentably.

    And every picture of him shows him holding up a Vulcan salute., but that was never part of his Star Trek character. He’s spent his life saying, “Look! I’m Spock!”

    I’m wondering what a dark, dystopian Galaxy Quest would have been like.

    Maybe it’s called Star Trek: Discovery?

    • #44
  15. Flicker Coolidge
    Flicker
    @Flicker

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Flicker (View Comment):

    Hartmann von Aue (View Comment):

    Henry Castaigne (View Comment):

    George Takei seems emblematic of the small-minded and grasping jealousy of the left.

    Yes, lamentably.

    And every picture of him shows him holding up a Vulcan salute., but that was never part of his Star Trek character. He’s spent his life saying, “Look! I’m Spock!”

    I’m wondering what a dark, dystopian Galaxy Quest would have been like.

    Maybe it’s called Star Trek: Discovery?

    I mean the lives dark side of the lives of the surviving Star Trek cast.  I can’t say I knew them, but I met them, and spoke at length with Takei.  He seemed nice enough.  But I always wondered why he spoke of the majesty of the beauty of Empire State Building rising majestically upwards penetrating the clouds and sky.  I was younger then and thought he was talking about architecture.

    • #45
  16. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Flicker (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Flicker (View Comment):

    Hartmann von Aue (View Comment):

    Henry Castaigne (View Comment):

    George Takei seems emblematic of the small-minded and grasping jealousy of the left.

    Yes, lamentably.

    And every picture of him shows him holding up a Vulcan salute., but that was never part of his Star Trek character. He’s spent his life saying, “Look! I’m Spock!”

    I’m wondering what a dark, dystopian Galaxy Quest would have been like.

    Maybe it’s called Star Trek: Discovery?

    I mean the lives dark side of the lives of the surviving Star Trek cast. I can’t say I knew them, but I met them, and spoke at length with Takei. He seemed nice enough. But I always wondered why he spoke of the majesty of the beauty of Empire State Building rising majestically upwards penetrating the clouds and sky. I was younger then and thought he was talking about architecture.

     

     

    • #46
  17. Flicker Coolidge
    Flicker
    @Flicker

    Yeah, something like that.

    • #47
  18. Taras Coolidge
    Taras
    @Taras

    kedavis (View Comment):

    The Reticulator (View Comment):

    Stad (View Comment):

    So now space travel consumers have a choice: after touchdown, do you want to be hugged by Bezos or Musk?

    As in health care, we need a public option: Getting hugged by Biden and Harris after touchdown.

    But only if they’re wearing ape costumes.

    I would pick Musk over Bezos.

    Bezos’ hairless cat has a tendency to scratch.

    • #48
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