'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

Entrepreneur Staff

Editorial Assistant

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

Editor's Pick

Business Solutions

Say Hello to the PDF Multi-Tool You Didn't Know You Needed

Get lifetime access to UPDF for just $47.99—the best price online right now.

Business News

Zillow Predicts These 10 Places Will Have the Hottest Housing Markets in 2025

Zillow predicted that the hottest housing market of 2025 will be Buffalo, New York. Here's why.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

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

Business Culture

It's Time to Rewrite Your Company's Values — Here's How

Most companies' values are forgotten or disconnected from daily operations. By rethinking and co-creating values with your team, you can transform them into actionable tools that align behavior, build trust and drive performance.

Business News

These Are the 10 Highest-Paying Jobs That Only Require a 2-Year Degree — With Some Around $100,000 and Higher

People with two-year degrees may see career growth in the healthcare, aviation, and technology industries over the next 10 years, according to a new report.