Are celebrity tourists eclipsing the real science done in space?

Actor William Shatner, famously known as Captain Kirk of the original 1960s Star Trek television series, is the latest in a line of celebrities slated to fly into space aboard a Blue Origin rocket. While these flights are great publicity for the emerging space tourism industry, it could overshadow the real science taking place in space.

At 90 years old, the Canadian-born Shatner will become the oldest person to ever reach space. He'll break the record set in July by 82-year-old Wally Funk, the pioneering female aviator who flew on board the first passenger flight of the Blue Origin rocket. She in turn had broken the record set by John Glenn, who spent nine days aboard Space Shuttle Discovery in 1998 at age 77. Glenn was a former astronaut, fighter pilot who had experienced the rigours of spaceflight and knew what to expect. 

Mr. Shatner may find the ride to space a little less comfortable than the bridge of the starship Enterprise. He'll face the physical challenges of launch and re-entry as he is carried aloft on a straight up, straight down hop above the atmosphere. It may not be the crowning achievement of his long acting career, but it will be a major accomplishment for a very senior citizen.

Space tourism is definitely taking off. Jeff Bezos, the 57-year-old billionaire behind Blue Origin and founder of Amazon, also flew on his rocket's first passenger flight in July. That was just over a week after fellow billionaire and space tourism entrepreneur, Richard Branson, flew aboard his Virgin Galactic rocket plane at the age of 71.

In September four space tourists spent three days in orbit aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule. And a Russian actor and film director are now aboard the International Space Station to shoot a movie about a medical emergency in space. Even Tom Cruise is talking about filming action scenes on the space station.

All this may sell tickets for space tourism and blockbuster movies, but will it detract from the real science that has been going on for more than 20 years on the space station by dedicated astronauts who spend years training for each flight?

The International Space Station is first and foremost a scientific laboratory operated by the U.S., Russia, Canada, Japan and 11 European nations. Oh, and it happens to be in space.