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Prince William Slams Private Space Race Hours After William Shatner Touches Down

Prince William called out space tourism as a distraction from solving the problem of climate change.

Prince William has boldly gone where few other public figures have so far dared to go, and roundly criticized the private space race, just hours after Star Trek veteran William Shatner became the oldest person to reach space, on a Jeff Bezos-owned Blue Origin rocket. In an interview ahead of the inaugural Earthshot Prize, 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.” William said he had “absolutely no interest” in going to space, saying there was a “fundamental question” over the carbon cost of such jaunts. William also spoke about COP26, the upcoming UN climate conference, saying: “We can’t have more clever speak, clever words but not enough action.”