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]

...based on weight considerations.

Re:Shatner would have to pay double...

[AndroidCat]

Ach Captain, the engines canna take it!

Re:Shatner would have to pay double...

[Tablizer]

Don't laugh. Southwest Airlines is charging double for people who can't fit into a single seat. Why don't they offer a variety of seat sizes? One-size-fits-all is stupid. Bowling alleys usually don't charge extra for bigger bowling shoes.

Re:Shatner would have to pay double...

[nofx_3]

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...

[drinkypoo]

I can only imagine how little muscle you have if you're still fat at 6'1" 205. Admittedly I'm 6'7" but at 250, and having spent three hours a week working out, I was merely chubby, definitely out of the fat category. Unfortunately I stopped exercising for some time and I'm back into full-fledged fatness. I don't have room inside the house for my weight set and the rainy season is coming on so I suspect it's going to get worse before it gets better...

Re:Shatner would have to pay double...

[pipingguy]

Admittedly I'm 6'7" but at 250...

I'll bet you scare little children with your freakish verticalness.

Seriously though, I'm a foot shorter and have ballooned to 170 over the past few years due to relative inactivity and "old age" (42). The metabolism really does slow down at around 35, but the brain keeps on going ...uh, ...stuff, oh, nevermind.

Goddam kids, get off my lawn!

Re:Shatner would have to pay double...

[Tablizer]

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]

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]

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.

Payload

[tepples]

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]

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

Re:Payload

[Sexy Commando]

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]

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

hmm.

[say__10]

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

Re:hmm.

[infinite9]

Maybe he's really just after some green alien pussy.

Re:hmm.

[corbettw]

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

Re:hmm.

[Bull999999]

But he'll probably exit 'the nexus' to save a fellow actor named Patrick Stewart and get killed in the process.

1st Passengers of the VSS Enterprise

[reporter]

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]

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]

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

Re:1st Passengers of the VSS Enterprise

[Laebshade]

For those not in the know, in (afaik) every episode the person who wore the red shirt died. See a wiki on "red shirt" [c2.com].

Re:1st Passengers of the VSS Enterprise

[khallow]

Well, I remember an episode where one red shirt didn't die. That's because there were *two* red shirts!

Re:1st Passengers of the VSS Enterprise

[belroth]

For those not in the know, in (afaik) every episode the person who wore the red shirt died.

Except Scotty.

Re:1st Passengers of the VSS Enterprise

[ArghBlarg]

I suspect he wore a green shirt underneath to cancel the red shirt out.

Re:1st Passengers of the VSS Enterprise

[Laebshade]

Was that sarcastic or sincere?

Re:1st Passengers of the VSS Enterprise

[AKAImBatman]

The first passengers of the VSS Enterprise should be all the surviving key actors of "Star Trek: The Original Series".

Don't forget Welshee!!! :-D

Seriously, though. I think it would be an excellent tribute to manned space travel. The Star Trek crew was there for the STS-Enterprise christening (which was originally going to be Constitution), so why shouldn't they be there for this? At the very least, it would be great publicity for Virgin.

Speaking of the STS naming, does anyone else think that naming the

Re:1st Passengers of the VSS Enterprise

[Richard_at_work]

Constitution was the name given to the class of the craft Kirks Enterprise (NCC-1701 and A) belonged to, due to the USS Constitution (NCC-1700) being the first craft of that type. Only the NX-01 from the new Enterprise series placed the Enterprise as first in its class. So, yes, I see why it would make a more fitting tribute :) Tho technically none of the shuttles are referred to as "Enterprise Class", tho they have good uptimes.

Re:1st Passengers of the VSS Enterprise

[Rie Beam]

Shouldn't we have the pre-original series cast on there, then? I mean, they didn't really exist outside of the storyline, but you know, we do have to keep up with continuity. And while we're at it, someone needs to invent the Tribble.

Re:1st Passengers of the VSS Enterprise

[hunterx11]

...we do have to keep up with continuity.

I think that Enterprise kind of contradicts this.

Re:1st Passengers of the VSS Enterprise

[Rob_Warwick]

Though it would be a great tribute, we're talking about space travel here. Things can go wrong. Do you want to loose all of those people at once?

Granted, there's a much better chance (if things are done right) that it won't go wrong, but when you strap that much fuel onto your vechicle, there's always risk.

I think it'd be a much more fitting tribute if they got all the actors together before the launch, set them on a stage, and let them know just how much they inspired us all to do the things that we ne

Branson

[spungo]

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

[monoi]

You're complaining, on Slashdot, about the only UK train operator that provides laptop power points at every seat?

(And try the cookies -- yum!)

Re:Branson

[nomadic]

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.

You forgot...

[Julian Morrison]

- Standing room only, right out into the loo vestibules. Which don't have adequate dehumidifiers, so the walls drip with clammy condensation.

- By god do the toilets stink. In fact, the whole trains reek of sewage.

- The air conditioning backfires producing alternating spots of north-atlantic chill, and unbreathable muggy heat.

Re:Branson

[nofx_3]

I can imagine how good they could possibly be, here in the states (west coast) the only place I have ever seen a panini is at a fast food joint called Jack In The Box (think McDonalds but more greasy with much funnier commercials) so I can't imagine how good they could really be.

-kaplanfx

Space Sick

[NightEyes Decorum]

I bet he gets space sick first time up.

Check in

[BasilBrush]

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

hey

[wfmcwalter]

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

Third Rock

[AndroidCat]

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]

New slogan-

VSS...Spaceships designed for slashdotters.

At least he can say one thing thats true.

[DeathByDuke]

'To boldy go where no Shatner has been before'

Or maybe...

[infinite9]

To boldy shat where no one has shat before?

Sounds like a great marketing concept to me

[squatex]

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

[The-Bus]

Honestly, I don't think you need William Shatner's help to get the word out that civilians are in space. It's Huge News(TM) by itself.

Re:Sounds like a great marketing concept to me

[PhotoBoy]

I'm sure the world's first commercial space flight would be a big enough news story on its own without needing to give The Shat a free ride.

Re:Sounds like a great marketing concept to me

[meta-monkey]

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]

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]

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?

[justforaday]

IIRC, Virgin Records isn't even owned by the Virgin Group anymore. They sold it off a while ago. And then when they wanted another record company, V2 was born...

Virgin is not just a record company, but...

[Dogtanian]

Virgin records were sold off to EMI many years ago (early '90s, IIRC).

The Virgin Megastores (or the ones in the UK at least) are a joint operation with other investors.

It obviously makes sense to some people to use the Virgin name; thing is, I'm not sure what it stands for (or rather, what it's *meant* to stand for, since most brand names are about image rather than substance, and are often farmed out anyway).

Does 'Virgin' have an image beyond Richard Branson? The only one they have in my book is a ps

Re:A 'record label' is behind this?

[AC-x]

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

Re:A 'record label' is behind this?

[Richard_at_work]

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]).

Virgin Money??!?!

[brunes69]

WTF is that?

Re:Virgin Money??!?!

[pjt33]

You could try looking at their website [virginmoney.com].

Re:Virgin Money??!?!

[Feztaa]

They print their own money. Duh.

Re:A 'record label' is behind this?

[commodoresloat]

Virgin Brides (bridal services, not mail order women)

So they do provide you with virgin brides, but you have to run down to the megastore to pick them up?

Re:A 'record label' is behind this?

[polecat_redux]

Im still waiting for Virgin Linux....

I'd like to see Virgin Slashdot... you know, rather than Slasdot Virgins.

Re:Something drastically right

[Hatta]

That money belongs to labor, not corporate. If you're so worried about stealing.

Re:Something drastically right

[nounderscores]

ouch

VSS enterprise

[lobsterGun]

Hrmmm

Visual Source Safe Enterprise.

AKA: Words that should not be used together.

CVS-65

[nounderscores]

you would prefer to fly on the TCS Tiger's Claw (CVS-07) or the Concordia (CVS-65)?

http://www.wcrevival.de/encyclopedia/index.php?e nt ry=t#tigersclaw

Kirk's Hair

[wheelbarrow]

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.

Re:Kirk's Hair

[marktaw.com]

Actually, his hair couldn't have been receding during the show because he *always* wore a wig. There are even some famous stories of him stealing the spare (because it was better than anything he could afford).

Now mod me +5 Geeky.

This is awesome

[Epistax]

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]

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

VSS Enterprise

[daeley]

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

Registration..

[bigattichouse]

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]

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]

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.

Re:I can see it now

[Chocolate Teapot]

Hmm. Don't know. maybe if anyone actually watches it they could let us know. I guess we'll never know :)

flying with kirk

[droper]

It would be cool to go up into space with Captain Kirk. Maybe I could convince him to put on the star trek unform and have him wrestle a green aliens.

Will his cult go too?

[AndroidCat]

You know, those wacky Shatnerologists [shatnerology.com].

He just wants command again

[I am the Bullgod]

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.

Virgin & Shatner?

[Prince Vegeta SSJ4]

I smell trouble, we all know how captain Kirk loved Virgins, especially Green ones!

Boy was I confused...

[Anita Coney]

I couldn't understand why Shatner wanted to bring back STNG.

Re:Boy was I confused...

[Dogtanian]

I couldn't understand why Shatner wanted to bring back STNG.

Yeah; he did some okay stuff in The Police, but most of his solo work is really boring.

Past predicting the future

[Lord_Dweomer]

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]

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

Remember Shatner's twilight zone episode?

[Dammital]

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]

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]

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

Sigh, I don't have $210.000 you insensitive clod!

[RogerWilco]

Hmm, lameness filter want more than a title, ... ...

3) Profit!

"Beam my ass back to the set"

[Tablizer]

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]

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

It's just a big roller coaster

[Animats]

This is suborbital flight, people. Up and down, like Al Shepard in 1961. A few minutes of weightlessness.

Getting to orbit is much harder. But useful.

Imagine the publicity...

[saskboy]

..were the ship to explode on the maiden voyage with Shatner in it. That would be some story, and people would think maybe he faked his own death for more fame.

And he's afraid of flying! He didn't have to act on Terror at 2000 Feet.

I don't know about all of you...

[xx01dk]

but I think this is pretty cool. Sure, we all make jokes about how corny the Shatner has been and can be, but I think nothing could be cooler than to have a pioneer of modern space sci-fi actually participating in the new generation of space-flight. Gives me chills, personally.

Although, the comedic value is hard to pass up.

It's too bad Deforest Kelley won't be around.. "Damnit, Jim! Your an Actor, not an astronaut!"

New Priceline Commercial

[marktaw.com]

New Toupee: $800

Trip to outer space: $210,000

Convincing the Stewardess to dress up as a green alien and join the 10,000 mile high club: Priceless

No better publicity

[MilenCent]

So, Shatner is paying a little over 200 grand for a space ride, and that gets him the front page at Slashdot.

Okay granted, a lot of things that Shatner does would make the front page (such as releasing a another record), but it's a great way to get his name back on other headlines besides.

It's just publicity, though it's cool that he knows these people exist. Admittedly, however, as time passes the more I'm starting to think that Shatner sort of deserves his celebrity, the same way Bruce Campbell and Ada

Thank you!

[targo]

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]

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

Re:VSS, eh?

[Anonymous Coward]

VSS Enterprise? Isn't that from the Evil Mirror universe or something? Will Shatner have to grow a goatee to fly? :)

As long as he doesn't grow a goatse.

Re:Shatner in outer space?

[SpiffyMarc]

His new one, "Has Been", was produced in part by Ben Folds and features numerous guest vocalists and inspired, touching and some outright funny lyrics. I'm personally fond of "I Can't Get Behind That" and "That's Me Trying."

If you can get past the "omg it's Shatner" factor, he's put out one heck of an album. One of the best music purchases I've made this year.

Re:Shatner in outer space?

[Rallion]

He was on Leno last night. I was laughing. It was pretty bad. I couldn't tell what he was singing.

shatner rocks

[poptones]

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.

Re:Shatner in outer space?

[(SM) Spacemonkey]

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]

Re:VSS Enterprise.

[CrazyTalk]

I wonder what they consider "promised money" though. I signed up for their email list - are they considering me a "promised customer" and counting on my cash already?

Re:VSS Enterprise.

[CrazyTalk]

D'ohh! Good thing I don't have the money!

Re:Rejected yesterday

[Wizzy Wig]

I submitted this story yesterday, but it was rejected. Happens to me all the time... I have yet to get one in. Obviously they know who we are.

Re:I hope Shatner is the 1st in space to yell out.

[Tablizer]

Khaaan!

More like:

"This is not really space, just the upper atmosphere. I...have...been Coooonned!"