Shatner Aims for Real 'Star Trek'

swight1701 writes "William Shatner wants to boldly go where he's only pretended to go so far. The 'Star Trek' star is among more than 7,000 people who have told Richard Branson they would gladly pay him $210,000 (£115,000) for a trip aboard his planned spacecraft. In all, more than $1.45 billion (£800 million) has been pledged -- years before the Virgin Galactic spaceship is even built, Branson said. I wonder did Shatner sign up because the first ship will be the VSS Enterprise?"

Shatner would have to pay double...

[beamdriver (554241)]

...based on weight considerations.

Re:Shatner would have to pay double...

[AndroidCat (229562)]

Ach Captain, the engines canna take it!

Payload

[tepples (727027)]

Oh come on, everyone knows there's no weight in space

Sure, there's no apparent weight once in a freefalling orbit. But it still takes energy to lift payload out of Earth's gravity well into freefall, and it takes fuel to provide this energy, and it takes energy to lift the fuel...

Re:Payload

[Impy the Impiuos Imp (442658)]

No weight, technically, but his own microgravity, if it even needs the micro-, might cause problems for the onboard equipment.

Re:Payload

[Sexy Commando (612371)]

it takes energy to lift the fuel
It takes fuel to lift the fuel, which takes fuel to lift, which takes fuel to lift, which takes fuel to lift, which takes fuel to--STACK OVERFLOW

Re:Shatner would have to pay double...

[Chocolate Teapot (639869)]

You think that's a scary thought? Remember this [tolkiencollector.com]? OK, so it's offtopic, but you started it :)

Re:Shatner would have to pay double...

[nofx_3 (40519)]

I got a better idea. Why don't people not get so fat that they can't fit in a single seat? I was 6'1" 240 at one point in my life and I could still fit in airplane seats fine, and trust me that is as fat as you ever want to be, my health was already going down the tubes. Not only do these people require extra seats on planes, slow down the lines for roller coasters, and other idiotic things, they also cost this country millions in health care costs that could have been avioded if the ate a bit less and actually got up from in front of the tv once in a while.

-kaplanfx

P.S. I'm down to 205 and I'm still fat so you can only imagine...

Re:Shatner would have to pay double...

[Tablizer (95088)]

Well aside from nagging people about using more weight-loss discipline, there are other problems not related to weight, such as leg room. Tall people don't fit very well, period. If they made different sized seats or seat-spacing, then the same number of people would still fit in the plane.

For example, suppose seat spacing 30 inches in current planes. Make 1/3 of the seats be 20 inches, 1/3 be 30 inches, and 1/3 be 40 inches. The total space remains the same, yet people fit better.

The real problem is one-size-fits-all mentality, not overweight people. If you solve the problem for tallies, then it will be solved for fatties also using the same technique.

not really true

[Trepidity (597)]

It's not possible to make seats much smaller than they already are and still get customers. Very few people will pay money to get a seat with 20 inches of legroom. Most people already think 30 inches is too little. Therefore, that option isn't feasible. The other option is to keep 30 inches as the minimum and add seats with more legroom as an optional purchase. This already exists: there is first class on most airlines, and a number of airlines are starting to offer an "economy plus" with more legroom

Re:Shatner would have to pay double...

[general_re (8883)]

Bowling alleys usually don't charge extra for bigger bowling shoes.

Stocking a pair of size 13's doesn't usually mean you're forced to throw out two pairs of size 7's, unlike airplane seats.

hmm.

[say__10 (768448)]

Maybe there will be an energy disturbance and he can enter 'the nexus' thus preserving Shatner for future generations.

Re:hmm.

[corbettw (214229)]

Nah, avoid the green alien pussy. It isn't ripe.

1st Passengers of the VSS Enterprise

[reporter (666905)]

The first passengers of the VSS Enterprise should be all the surviving key actors of "Star Trek: The Original Series". Such an event would be a fitting tribute to the television show that inspired a generation of engineers and astrophysicists.

Further, such an event would be a great publicity stunt for Virgin, so Virgin should foot the bill for the inaugural voyage of the VSS Enterprise.

Re:1st Passengers of the VSS Enterprise

[torpor (458)]

Yeah damn. Way to get rid of them all in one shot... I mean, you know, if something were to go wrong.

Re:1st Passengers of the VSS Enterprise

[Docrates (148350)]

The real question is, will they be wearing Virigin's RED SHIRTS during the flight?

Branson

[spungo (729241)]

Yeah, well, if Richard Branson's spaceships are anything like his trains, it'll be stuffy, under-manned, and nine hours late... that's if it doesn't break down two miles outside Birmingham. Oh, and the sandwiches suck.

Re:Branson

[nomadic (141991)]

Yeah, well, if Richard Branson's spaceships are anything like his trains, it'll be stuffy, under-manned, and nine hours late..

And if they're anything like his planes they'll be full of amazingly sexy flight attendants, so I'll take my chances.

Space Sick

[NightEyes Decorum (632494)]

I bet he gets space sick first time up.

Check in

[BasilBrush (643681)]

It'd be a damn shame if when you check in you were given an aisle seat.

hey

[wfmcwalter (124904)]

Hey, steward, what's that thing on the wing?

Third Rock

[AndroidCat (229562)]

Big Giant Head: It was a horrible flight! There was a man on the wing of the plane!
Dick Solomon: The same thing happened to me!

VSS

[malarkey (514857)]

New slogan-

VSS...Spaceships designed for slashdotters.

At least he can say one thing thats true.

[DeathByDuke (823199)]

'To boldy go where no Shatner has been before'

Sounds like a great marketing concept to me

[squatex (765966)]

They should probably let Shatner on for free (or at least for an endorsment contract). The marketing here basically writes itself.

Re:Sounds like a great marketing concept to me

[meta-monkey (321000)]

If every time a celebrity wanted to ride the ship you gave him a free seat, you'd never make any money. It's only going to be celebrities and other rich people riding this...who else can afford $200k for a 3hr flight? I want them all to pay through the nose for this so the profits can be reinvested to make it affordable for the rest of us. No breaks.

A 'record label' is behind this?

[nurb432 (527695)]

There is something drastically wrong if a "record company" can amass the amount of capital to start a space program.

Re:A 'record label' is behind this?

[superrcat (815508)]

The Virgin Group is not a record company, they are a venture capitalist organization that uses their name for many different markets, Virgin Records, Virgin Airlines, Virgin Mobile, etc.

Re:A 'record label' is behind this?

[AC-x (735297)]

They're hardly starting a space program, just buying into Scaled Composites'

Re:A 'record label' is behind this?

[Richard_at_work (517087)]

Uhm, virgin is a LOT more than a record label. Its a corporate group, more than a company. You have:

• Virgin Mobile (cell phones)
• Virgin Atlantic (Airline)
• Virgin Megastores (highstreet sales)
• Virgin Trains (take a wild guess)
• Virgin Active (gyms and fitness centers)
• Virgin Money
• Virgin Holidays (probably in conjunction with Virgin Atlantic)
• Virgin Limobike (taxi service)
• Virgin Brides (bridal services, not mail order women)

THats just a small selection, go here [virgin.com] for the full list of companies within the Virgin group.

Best of all, Richard Branson knows how to have fun with the money hes amassed. He bought an Island specifically for staff holidays (source [bbc.co.uk]).

Re:Virgin Money??!?!

[Feztaa (633745)]

They print their own money. Duh.

VSS enterprise

[lobsterGun (415085)]

Hrmmm

Visual Source Safe Enterprise.

AKA: Words that should not be used together.

Kirk's Hair

[wheelbarrow (811145)]

Have you ever noticed that Kirk's hairline was receding during the TV show and that, amazingly, he had more hair in the later Star Trek movies. I say charge him $200K for the ride and $50K more if he wants to bring his hair.

This is awesome

[Epistax (544591)]

I think everyone, including Shatner, who sings like Shatner, should go in to space.

Oh they're bringing him back? Darn.

Did you hear?

[spungo (729241)]

Branson's ship was impeccably clean... until William Shatner. *groan*

VSS Enterprise

[daeley (126313)]

This is a really bad idea. You know at the first sign of trouble he's going to be "taking command."

Registration..

[bigattichouse (527527)]

I wonder when nations will begin requiring national registration for spacecraft (ie - HMS Bounty)... I know the shuttles are "Registered" as US planes, but VSS implies that Virgin is vying for "autonomy" as a space venture. So is "The Corporation" (ala Aliens Trilogy) Virgin,Inc.?

Re:Registration..

[Teancum (67324)]

Not only are spacecraft like the shuttle registered, but space station modules are also "registered" as spacecraft. Indeed, if an incident were to happen on the ISS, the nation who owns and built the module would have primary juristiction in terms of law enforcement. Indeed, it was because of liability concerns that Dennis Tito was originaly denied entry into the ISS.

What would be interesting is to see what body of law comes out of dealing with criminal and civil legal issues in space. If you kill someb

I can see it now

[Omega1045 (584264)]

I can just see it now, the people producing the TV series "Star Trek: Enterprise" are going to change the opening sequence of historical ships name "Enterprise" to include the VSS model.

He just wants command again

[I am the Bullgod (797123)]

After almost getting ejected from the flight for insisting that the crew calls him "Admiral", he'll assume command, citing a crisis on the Genesis planet.

Past predicting the future

[Lord_Dweomer (648696)]

Its kind of funny that the series named the spacecraft the Enterprise and has a whole backstory about the creation of it, and here we are, naming our first commercial spacecraft that. I know its just the influence of media culture, but it still is kind of ironic.

I wonder if they'll let him sit in a captains seat.

"Scotty, beam them aboard!"

"Um...sir, I'm not Scotty...and you're not even a captain....."

Re:Past predicting the future

[freeweed (309734)]

You DO know we also had a NASA-built shuttle named Enterprise, right? :)

Remember Shatner's twilight zone episode?

[Dammital (220641)]

When I close my eyes and imagine him on the VSS Enterprise, I think of this [notcoming.com]rather than the captain's chair.

Why is this iin the SF section

[1u3hr (530656)]

It's about a real person, Willaim Shatner, not James T Kirk, and a real spaceship. Some science, no fiction.

Given Virgins reliability record...

[Phil246 (803464)]

how long before kirk gets on the intercom and proclaims - " Scotty, we need warp speed in 5 minutes or we`re all dead "

"Beam my ass back to the set"

[Tablizer (95088)]

Pilot: Uh, we seem to be having a problem with our external controls.

Shatner: Oh great. Well, just beam us out then.

Pilot: Uh, we don't have transporters in here, sir.

Shatner: Then, go to warp!

Pilot: We don't have warp either.

Shatner: What?! What kind of double dumbship is this bucket of bolts? And you ain't no Scotty!

Maybe...

[Wizzy Wig (618399)]

he'll beat that $210,000 fare if he uses that PriceLine thingy he works for....

Thank you!

[targo (409974)]

I don't care a lot about Shatner as an entertainer but I'm thankful to him and anybody else that is putting dollars into private space industry.
Getting in space myself one day is my biggest dream; I have been giving a few hundred bucks to X-prize foundation and other similar organizations every year but obviously I could never realize my goal without guys like Shatner chipping in and advancing the cause.
Thanks again!

Re:Pounds and not Euros?

[spungo (729241)]

Virgin be a limey org... we don't need no stinkin' Euro!

Re:Shatner in outer space?

[(SM) Spacemonkey (812689)]

Actually, his new spoken word album is not that bad. In particular the song linked (which you can listen to for free) is very good. It is a cover of a classic britpop song "Common People" by Pulp. Give it a listen. http://www.nme.com/features/110018.htm/ [nme.com]

shatner rocks

[poptones (653660)]

I saw him with Joe Jackson on Leno last night as well, and I thought it awesome. I'd drive to memphis to see the two of them if they went on tour.