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Shatner hits back at Prince William’s space travel criticism

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Blue Origin Launch
VAN HORN, TEXAS - OCTOBER 13: (L to R) Blue Origin vice president of mission and flight operations Audrey Powers, Star Trek actor William Shatner, Planet Labs co-founder Chris Boshuizen and Medidata Solutions co-founder Glen de Vries wave during a media availability on the landing pad of Blue Origin’s New Shepard after they flew into space on October 13, 2021 near Van Horn, Texas. Shatner became the oldest person to fly into space on the ten minute flight. They flew aboard mission NS-18, the second human spaceflight for the company which is owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

William Shatner has shot down Prince William’s criticism of space travel.

He believes the royal is missing the point”.

The former Star Trek actor told Entertainment Tonight that Prince William was a “lovely, gentle, educated man” but that he has the “wrong idea” about going to space.

Shatner argues that space travel is the first step to getting “polluting industries” off Earth and that his trip was to show how “practical” space travel could be.

The 90-year old actor became the oldest man to reach space after blasting off from Texas on Tuesday.

The trip lasted about 10 minutes in a Blue Origin rocket, the company owned by Amazon multi-billionaire Jeff Bezos

His comments follow Prince William’s call for people to focus on fixing Earth rather than on efforts to leave it.

Prince William told the BBC: “We need some of the world’s greatest brains and minds fixed on trying to repair this planet, not trying to find the next place to go and live.” 

The royal recently launched the Earthshot prize, which is designed to award solutions to protect the planet and reduce the effects of global climate change.