It’s not clear whether Shatner would be flown at Bezos’ invitation, as Wally Funk was, or whether a fare is being paid for the flight. TMZ reports that negotiations are in progress to film the mission for a documentary.
Inspiration4’s four crew members went through months of training for a flight that lasted three days. That’s in contrast to the time frame for an orbital flight like the one SpaceX provided this month for the philanthropic Inspiration4 mission. Training for such a suborbital mission requires only a few days, and the flight itself typically lasts about 10 minutes. Shatner and other spacefliers would have a few minutes of floating in zero-G and enjoying the view of the black sky over a curving Earth - and then would descend to a parachute-aided landing in the Texas desert. The flight profile involves climbing into a crew capsule for launch from Blue Origin’s West Texas spaceport to an altitude in excess of 100 kilometers (62 miles). Taking a ride on the New Shepard spaceship wouldn’t require as much effort as, say, commanding the Starship Enterprise.
The world’s richest individual also played a part in a Star Trek production: a cameo as an alien Starfleet officer that lasted several seconds in the movie “Star Trek Beyond.” That gives him at least one thing in common with Bezos. Kirk in the original “Star Trek” series and in a series of movies. Northwest Women VC & Angel Investor List.2025 Podcast – sponsored by Northern Trust.Geek Real Estate by Realogics Sotheby’s.Junior Geek of the Month presented by Northern Trust.Health Tech Podcast presented by Premera.Geek Life presented by First Tech Federal Credit Union.Startups presented by Madrona Venture Group.