Posts Tagged: space travel

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FAA Clips Private Astronaut Wings After Michael Strahan Launches Into Space

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Michael Strahan and 5 others are set to launch into space aboard Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin rocket Saturday morning.

The space launch comes as the Federal Aviation Administration closes its investigation into the safety of Blue Origin's rockets. The investigation was inconclusive.

A crew of six will take off at 10:00AM ET from Blue Origin's launch pad in Van Horn, Texas.

In addition to the Good Morning America host and former NFL linebacker Strahan, the crew includes Laura Shepard Churchley, the eldest daughter of Alan Shepard, the first American in space. Strahan and Shepard are non-paying guests.

The paying customers include: Evan Dick, an investor, Lane Bess, the founder of Bess Ventures, and Bess' son Cameron Bess, and investor Dylan Taylor.

The Blue Origin capsule carrying its 6-man crew will launch into space on top of a rocket, then separate 62 miles above earth where the crew will experience zero gravity.

When they land minutes later, they will be awarded commercial astronaut wings by the FAA.

The astronaut wings are awarded to people who fly more than 50 miles above earth on a commercial spacecraft.

However, the FAA announced it will end the special astronaut wings program to discourage further private launches into space.

This means Strahan and his crew will be the last to be awarded the FAA wings.

Watch the launch live below.
 

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George Takei Slams ‘Unfit Guinea Pig’ William Shatner for Space Travel

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George Takei (left) criticized former Star Trek co-star William Shatner as "unfit" for space travel after Shatner became the oldest man in history to fly into space this week.

Shatner, 90, was one of three passengers aboard Amazon boss Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin rocket ship on Wednesday, Oct. 13.

"He's boldly going where other people have gone before," George said to Page Six, repeating the famous line from the opening of the original Star Trek TV series.

"He's a guinea pig, 90 years old...," said Takei, 84. He added that TV's Captain Kirk is "not the fittest specimen of 90 years old".

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The two geriatric actors have been feuding for decades. Takei has accused Shatner of dissing him on the set of Star Trek.

In the past, Takei has said Shatner ignored him on the set and changed the script for 1989's Star Trek V, so his character, Hikaru Kato Sulu, would never become a spaceship commander.

In return, Shatner has accused Takei of being a psychopath.

"There's a psychosis there... There must be something else inside George that is festering, and it makes him unhappy that he takes it out on me... Why would he go out of his way to denigrate me? It's sad, I feel nothing but pity for him."

In 2015, George told the The New York Times Magazine that Shatner keeps the feud going to promote his projects:

"Whenever he needs a little publicity for a project, he pumps up the so-called controversy between us."

At the time, Takei mentioned Shatner's outburst against him in 2008, following Takei's wedding to Brad Altman.

"Two months after my wedding, he went on YouTube and ranted and raved about our not sending him an invitation. We had. If he had an issue, he could have easily just phoned us before the wedding, simple as that. But he didn't. And the reason he raised that fuss two months later is because he was premiering his new talk show, Raw Nerve."