After Star Trek actor William Shatner went into space aboard Jeff Bezos Blue Origin New Shepard rocket, Prince William slammed the new space tourism craze.
His remarks came a day after Shatner made history by being the oldest person in space. Prince William addressed the issue ahead of the first Earthshot Prize awards ceremony.
Page Six said the Earthshot Prize, which Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton funded, will be given to five people who can address the current climate change issue.
Prince William Slams Space Race After William Shatner's Blue Origin Flight
York Press said Prince William told the Cop26 conference against clever talk, clever words, but little action.
"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," Prince William told BBC's Newscast.
He also mentioned that "climate anxiety" is rising among young people, whose "futures are constantly threatened."
"[It is] is quite crucial to be focusing on this [planet] rather than giving up and heading out into space to try and think of solutions for the future," Prince William told the BBC.
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The Duke of Cambridge also told Newscast anchor Adam Fleming that traveling to space had "absolutely no interest" and that the carbon cost of space travel was a "fundamental matter."
Although Captain Kirk has "bravely" undertaken the mission, the last frontier should not anticipate a royal visit anytime soon.
Prince William stated that he had "absolutely no interest" in making the trip and questioned the flight's carbon imprint.
William vs. William: William Shatner Reacts to Prince William's Comment
According to Entertainment Tonight (ET), William Shatner reacted to Prince William's skepticism of the space race.
For Shatner, the voyage had a different meaning. The recent launch, he said, focused on saving the Earth rather than seeking a new home for its inhabitants.
Shatner would like to tell the Duke of Cambridge that what he did was a first step toward "moving the industry up there" so that all those harmful businesses, especially those that create energy, could be removed from Earth.
He went on to say that Prince William had missed the point. These are the first stages, according to Shatner, towards demonstrating that space travel is a viable option.
In response to the Duke's claim that there are challenges on Earth that people need to address, Shatner stated that he "of course" agrees.
Shatner is pleased he went to space, calling the experience "indescribable," and said there are "no words in the English language to describe it."
While Shatner stated that he "can't bear" being reminded that he is now the oldest person to fly to space, he did admit to ET that the trip made him ask his morals.
Shatner's trip into space on Wednesday sent him and the rest of the crew more than 60 miles above the Earth's surface. Before returning to Earth, the spacecraft spent roughly three minutes in zero gravity over the Karman Line, the globally acknowledged border of outer space.
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