'Star Trek' Actor William Shatner Set for Blue Origin Flight Days After 'SNL' Takes 'Star Trek'-Themed Jab at Jeff Bezos The stars seemed to align for this 'SNL' segment.

By Chloe Arrojado

NBC | Getty Images

On Monday, Jeff Bezos's spaceflight company Blue Origin announced two new crewmembers for its NS-18 mission. In addition to Blue Origins's vice president of mission and flight operations joining the crew, 90-year-old actor William Shatner will also be onboard the New Shepard rocket set to launch next week.

In late September, TMZ reported that Shatner, who launched into stardom for his role as Captain James T. Kirk in Star Trek, would be going up to space with Blue Origin. This past weekend, Saturday Night Live turned the news into an opportunity to make fun of Jeff Bezos in a Star Trek spoof.

Related: Bezos' Blue Origin Called 'Toxic' Workplace by Current, Former Staff

On Oct. 2, Saturday Night Live premiered its 47th season with Owen Wilson as host. One of the show's segments featured a parody titled "Star Trek: Ego Quest," in which Bezos (played by Wilson) flies around space with fellow billionaire Richard Branson (played by Alex Moffatt) and nonchalantly destroys a space station. And of course, the concept wouldn't have been complete without a villain, in this case Elon Musk (played by Mikey Day).

The sketch did not hold back, making fun of Blue Origin's first flight crew as well as the suggestive design of the spaceship, in addition to referencing Amazon's working conditions, as Bezos beams up an Amazon employee (played by Kenan Thompson) to deliver a package and throws him an empty water bottle before beaming him back. Additional voiceover eschewed any hint of subtlety, calling Bezos's antics "a midlife crisis of cosmic proportions."

You can watch the sketch here:

Shatner, for his part, has been tweeting up a storm about his Oct. 12 departure since the news became official, including his message to actor Jason Alexander that, "It's never too late to experience new things my friend."

Related: Elon Musk Says He's Sending Jeff Bezos a Silver Medal After Surpassing Him in Wealth
Chloe Arrojado

BIZ Experiences Staff

Editorial Assistant

Want to be an BIZ Experiences Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Most Popular

See all
Starting a Business

These Brothers Started a Business to Improve an Everyday Task. They Made Their First Products in the Garage — Now They've Raised Over $100 Million.

Coulter and Trent Lewis had an early research breakthrough that helped them solve for the right problem.

By Amanda Breen
Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for BIZ Experiencess to pursue in 2025.

By Eve Gumpel
Franchise

10 No-Office-Required Businesses You Can Start for as Little as $5,000

With strong Franchise 500 rankings and investment levels starting under $5,000, these brands are ready for new owners to hit the ground running.

By Carl Stoffers
Franchise

How to Prepare Your Business — And Yourself — For a Smooth Exit

After decades of building your business, turning it over to someone else can be emotional. But with the right mindset and a strong plan, it can also be your proudest moment.

By Ray Titus
Data & Recovery

We Found Four of the Top Alternatives to Dropbox That Don't Have Monthly Subscription Fees

All last for life, and not one of them is more than $200.

By BIZ Experiences Store
Business News

Here Are the 10 Jobs AI Is Most Likely to Automate, According to a Microsoft Study

These careers are most likely to be affected by generative AI, based on data from 200,000 conversations with Microsoft's Copilot chatbot.

By Sherin Shibu