Star Trek

Life has officially imitated art as William Shatner made history by becoming the oldest person ever to go to space.

Captain Kirk and crew hopped on Blue Origin's New Shepard capsule Wednesday morning and successfully blasted off into space ... never mind a couple of delays due to "vehicle readiness." Shatner himself said he got more nervous with each delay.

The 90-year-old and the other 3 crew members experienced 4 minutes of weightlessness before the capsule ultimately parachuted and landed safely in the west Texas desert at exactly 9:59 AM CT. Shatner gave a thumbs up before exiting the capsule.

Jeff Bezos opened the hatch, poked his head inside the capsule and greeted the newest astronauts. Shatner was second to exit and he said "Wow" before hugging Bezos.

Shatner started describing his experience to Bezos but he was briefly interrupted when Bezos popped open a bottle of champagne. Shatner turned down the bubbly. He later became visibly emotional and poetically described the once-in-a-lifetime experience.

He said, "What you have given me is the most profound experience I could imagine. I'm so filled with emotion about what just happened. It’s extraordinary. I hope I never recover from this. I hope I maintain what I feel now. I don’t want to lose it. It’s so much larger than me, and life." Shatner also urged Bezos to make this experience widely available ... even if it means using 3D technology.

Shatner's crew included Blue Origin’s vice president of mission and flight operations Audrey Powers, former NASA engineer Chris Boshuizen and software mogul Glen de Vries.

We got our first look of Shatner in the space suit moments before liftoff ... and though the suit wasn't as silky smooth as what he wore on the Enterprise all those years ago, he still looked pretty damn good. He's seriously 90?!?!

Bezos drove the space travelers to the launch site in a Rivian electric pickup truck, Shatner was stuck with the middle seat, but didn't seem to care.

Shatner became the oldest person to ever go up into space ... beating out 82-year-old test pilot Wally Funk ... who joined Bezos, his brother, Mark, and recent HS grad Oliver Daemen, when they took Blue Origin's New Shepard capsule up for its premiere launch in July.

As you'll recall ... that initial crew went up to space for about 15 minutes, reached an altitude of 66.5 miles, floated around for a bit in zero-gravity while playing with ping-pong balls ... then came back down for safe landing.

Shatner's civilian flight will be very similar, but our sources say the mission will be also filmed for a documentary. Any moment now we'll have video of Shatner & co. inside the capsule.

William Shatner's space flight won't take a toll on his body despite his age ... so says Neil deGrasse Tyson who explained why, by dropping some serious science knowledge.

The famed astrophysicist tells TMZ ... he's not worried about the fact Capt. Kirk's all of 90 years old and off to space Wednesday morning. He says the kind of space flight Blue Origin's designed to take is not like the old days where astronauts needed strenuous physical training.

So, what's changed? Neil explains it's not even about advances in the spacecraft itself ... it's more about where the New Shepard capsule ends up.

He says the bottom line is ... Captain Kirk should have a cakewalk of a "mission" to space. As for being weightless up there -- Neil says it's not the lack of gravity Shatner needs to worry about, but the opposite.

TMZ broke the story ... William will be part of the second crew to take the space flight ... making him the oldest person ever to be launched into space.

He'll be joined by Chris Boshuizen, founder of Earth-observation company Planet Labs, microbiologist Glen de Vries and Blue Origin's Audrey Powers. They're scheduled to launch at 10 AM ET from West Texas ... and TMZ will be streaming live.

Decades after he last played the role, William Shatner's going to become a real-life Captain Kirk ... because he's going to space ... on Jeff Bezos' rocket ship ... TMZ has learned.

Though he won't be boldly going where no man's gone before -- because Bezos and his Blue Origin crew already did it -- sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... the 90-year-old actor is slated to be part of the second crew to take the space flight in the New Shepard capsule. That would make him the oldest person ever to be launched into space.

We're told Shatner will be on board in October for the 15-minute civilian flight -- similar to the last launch. What we don't know -- BUT WHAT WOULD BE AWESOME -- is if he wears his Capt. Kirk getup.

Our sources say the mission will be filmed for a documentary. We're told Shatner's people were talking to Discovery about the special, but that didn't materialize ... but our sources say Shatner and Co. have taken the project elsewhere and are in negotiations.

It's unclear who will be joining William on the flight, but they'll join elite company as some of the first few amateur astronauts in space. You'll recall, when Bezos went up, up and away in July ... he was joined by just his brother, Mark Bezos, test pilot Wally Funk and recent HS grad Oliver Daemen.

That crew reached an altitude of 66.5 miles, floated around for a few minutes in zero-gravity while playing with ping pong balls ... then made their way back down for safe landing.

George Takei is drawing a line in the sand on vaccines -- saying those who consciously choose not to get the jab should be refused priority care if they get sick from COVID.

The "Star Trek" star came out swinging with his hot take Friday, writing ... "The willfully unvaccinated who wind up in hospitals from Covid should not receive priority medical care over other very sick or injured people who are as much in urgent need of medical care."

GT followed by tweeting the following ... "Anti-vaxxers think they are owning us liberals by refusing to get vaccinated. But as the kids say, this is an epic self-own."

His sentiment has gotten some blowback because of the harsh do-or-die approach. Some have pointed out there's a number of people who are unvaccinated for a variety of reasons ... and instead of calling for them to get left out in the dust, as George suggests here, they argue there simply needs to be even more outreach/education on vaccine safety.

It would appear George -- and others who've also called for the unvaccinated to lose out on privileges -- is past the point of talking and convincing. Fact is, the data is out there.

Noted Trekkie Sen. Cory Booker's praising a 'Star Wars' franchise, but cut him some slack -- his GF, Rosario Dawson, was in "The Mandalorian" ... and he still wants her to beam up to the USS Enterprise.

The U.S. Senator was on Capitol Hill Thursday when we grilled him about Rosario's debut on the hit Disney+ series as Ahsoka Tano. Not shockingly, he said she was phenomenal, but not only in the role.

CB says she was great at keeping set secrets from him while she was shooting -- including a big one about Baby Yoda. Doesn't sound like he's holding a grudge though (smart man) ... because he's already pulling for her to expand her sci-fi range by jumping to a 'Star Trek' project.

Yes, as a Trekkie, Cory's kinda pulling for the home team ... but he explained why Rosario's already set a big precedent that makes doing 'Star Wars' and 'Star Trek' not so far-fetched.

William Shatner wants Scotty the judge to beam him up and out of his marriage, 'cause he's calling it quits after 18 years ... TMZ has learned.

The 'Star Trek' actor just filed for divorce against his wife, Elizabeth, whom he got hitched with back in 2001. Sources familiar with the matter tell us Bill and Liz's split should move along relatively smoothly, as we're told the couple has a prenup.

Our sources say the Shatners are still negotiating the financial terms -- but one thing won't be an issue ... spousal support. We're told, per the terms of the prenup, neither party will receive any support from the other.

Of course, William and Elizabeth don't have any kids ... so no issues there. We're told divorce docs could soon be submitted for a final signature from a judge. It's almost a done deal at this point.

Elizabeth is Will's fourth wife -- he was previously married to Nerine Kidd, Marcy Lafferty and Gloria Rand ... and only had children with Rand. It's Elizabeth's second go-around ... she was married to Michael Glenn Martin before William. He's 88 ... she's 61.

Disso Queen Laura Wasser is repping WS in the divorce. She's on a nice little roll right now -- Laura Dern just picked up a Golden Globe nom for portraying her in "Marriage Story."

BTW ... Shatner's worth an estimated $100 million.

Aron Eisenberg, the actor who played Nog in "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" is dead.

Eisenberg, who became famous in the spin-off, had been battling health issues ... he received 2 kidney transplants. He was born with one kidney, which failed and he went on dialysis at age 14. He underwent his first transplant when he was 17 and another when he was 46. His kidney issues stunted his growth -- he was 5' tall.

He was also featured in the TV movie, "Amityville: The Evil Escapes" and "The Horror Show," "Beverly Hills Brats" and "Playroom." In all, he has over 30 credits.

Although Eisenberg was known for "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," he was also featured in "Star Trek: Renegades" as well as "Star Trek: Voyager." He was also involved in the Star Trek video game back in 2010.

His widow, Malissa Longo, posted, "We didn't officially announce that we had eloped on December 28th, 2018. We were hoping to have a big shindig in celebration of our nuptials, but had to wait to save up the money."

She went on ... "There will never be another light like Aron's. The beauty that he was and the legacy he leaves behind is beyond words. I love him dearly and will miss him eternally. At the moment I'm not sure how to do life without him."

Aron was 50.

Nichelle Nichols, who famously played Lt. Uhura on "Star Trek," is enraged at her son for putting her under a conservatorship ... and unleashed a blood-curdling scream when he attempted to take her home.

Audio of their confrontation was recorded by Gilbert Bell, Nichelle's manager and longtime friend -- and was first reported by Jonathan Carlson at Atlanta's CBS46. While Gilbert was visiting her last month, they got into a discussion about Nichelle's son and her conservatorship.

TMZ broke the story, Kyle Johnson was granted the conservatorship over his mother a year ago ... when she was diagnosed with dementia. Nichelle made it clear to Gilbert that she's pissed off about her son's legal maneuver, insisting ... "He's not the boss of me!" She also says she never gave him permission to take control of her estate.

Then, Kyle walked into the room to take her home. Nichelle refused, saying ... "Kyle, I'll kill you. You get the f**k out of my way." She then screamed and shouted at Kyle, "Give me my stuff!! Nooooo!! You're trying to get rid of me!!!"

As we've reported, one of the "Star Trek" icon's friends filed docs last year opposing Kyle's conservatorship. The friend claims he's merely out for his mother's money, and questioned the dementia diagnosis.

The friend even filed a letter she says Nichelle wrote to her son, informing him she was amending her will because he had told her, "I can't wait to get rid of this s**t" and sell off her house.

There's an online bidding war about to erupt, and "Dexter" fans will have the opportunity to take home Michael C. Hall's famous stalker getup from the psychological thriller ... if they have the cash.

The Dexter Morgan stalker ensemble from the hit Showtime series is hitting the auction block Dec. 1, with the online merchant, Prop Store, valuing it between $2,000 and $3,000.

For TV buffs with deeper pockets, there's an opportunity to bring home some historic "Star Trek" memorabilia ... because the costumes from American TV's first interracial kiss are also heading to auction.

The togas worn by William Shatner and Nichelle Nichols when they kissed on a 1968 episode of "Star Trek," the first interracial kiss on American TV, are valued between $60,000 and $80,000. Just be ready to outbid the Trekkies.

There are tons of other cool Hollywood memorabilia up for auction ... a bag of blue sky meth from "Breaking Bad" (valued at $3,000), Robin Williams' egg spaceship from "Mork & Mindy" ($30,000), Howard Stern's Fartman uniform from the 1992 MTV VMAs ($8,000), and Laura Palmer's red casket from the cult series "Twin Peaks" ($3,000).

Nichelle Nichols is spry and lucid, and doesn't need to be controlled by a bunch of people who don't have her best interests at heart -- including her son-- so says a woman claiming to be her close friend.

According to new legal docs filed by Angelique Fawcette ... the 'Star Trek' icon's son, Kyle Johnson, doesn't really care about Nichols' well-being ... she says he's trying to use her health issues as an excuse to gain possession of her riches.

Fawcette claims Nichelle even wrote a note to her son in March 2017, letting him know she wants to amend her will because he allegedly told her ... "I can't wait to get rid of this sh*t and sell [your] house and property."

As for Nichols' recent dementia diagnosis ... Fawcette says it's not credible because the doctor who diagnosed is not a psychiatrist and lacks necessary qualifications. And, Fawcette says she's consistently observed Nichelle performing daily activities with no issues ... she just needs occasional reminders to pay her bills.

We broke the story ... Johnson claimed his mother needed court-ordered protection because people were taking advantage of her. A judge signed off on a conservatorship.

Fawcette claims it's all a ruse set up by Nichols' son, so he can get his hands on her money. She says Nichelle's doing just fine and wants to keep living her life and handling her own business ... and her 2013 video interview with Nichols is more proof.

'Star Trek' icon Nichelle Nichols has been diagnosed with dementia and the disease has progressed.

According to docs filed in Nichelle's conservatorship, Dr. Meena Makhijani -- who specializes in osteopathic medicine -- says Nichols has been a patient of hers for the last 2-3 years ... and she has "moderate progressive dementia."

Makhijani gives details of the severity of the disease by rating various cognitive functions. Most alarming ... she says Nichols has major impairment of her short-term memory and moderate impairment of understanding abstract concepts, sense of time, place and immediate recall.

On the bright side, the doctor says there's no apparent impairment for things like long-term memory, orientation of her body, comprehension, verbal communication, concentration, recognition of familiar people, as well as ability to reason logically and plan actions.

As we reported ... Nichelle's son recently had 4 fiduciaries assigned to her as conservators to prevent her from being taken advantage of by people close to her.

Mark Zuckerberg's been getting the meme treatment for supposedly looking like a 'Star Trek' character -- ever since he testified to Congress -- but the actor himself doesn't see it.

We got Brent Spiner Monday in Malibu where we asked if he'd seen the hilarious Zuck memes putting him on the 'Next Generation' set as the android, Data.

Brent admits both his character and the Facebook CEO appear to stay out of the sun, but he ain't buying they're dead ringers or long-lost relatives.

Then again ... it's hard to tell if Brent's trolling us here with his answer -- especially because he was definitely trolling our photog on a bunch of things, including the proper pronunciation of Data.

But c'mon, Brent. You're Zuck's role model, admit it!

'Star Trek' icon Nichelle Nichols will have a new team handling her financial affairs in response to her son's claims she's battling dementia ... TMZ has learned.

According to court docs, an L.A. County judge signed off on Kyle Johnson's request to have 4 fiduciaries be his mom's conservators until mid-August, when there will be a court hearing. The hope is Nichelle will be able to attend that hearing.

As we first reported ... Kyle says his mother, who famously played Lt. Uhura, suffers from severe short-term memory loss, and needs court-ordered protection to block people from taking advantage of her.

Nichelle Nichols -- best known for playing Lieutenant Uhura in "Star Trek" -- is suffering from severe short-term memory loss and needs protection from being taken advantage of ... according to her son.

Nichols' son, Kyle Johnson, filed legal docs Friday nominating 4 fiduciaries to become his 85-year-old mom's conservators -- which would give them control of her finances and decisions related to her health.

According to Johnson, this is necessary because her dementia is "impacting her executive functioning" and makes her "susceptible to undue influence."

He adds ... "Certain individuals have unduly exerted themselves into Ms. Nichols' life to her detriment."

Aside from her classic "Star Trek" role, Nichelle's been very active in Hollywood -- she even has 3 projects coming out this year.

The woman who played Kes on "Star Trek: Voyager" has come crashing back down to Earth, courtesy of cops in Tennessee ... who keep busting her for driving when she shouldn't be.

Law enforcement tells us Jennifer Lien was arrested March 2 for driving on a revoked license, which should have sounded very familiar to her. Cops hauled her in for the same exact thing earlier that week on Feb. 27!

We're told Lien was pulled over, for the 2nd time, because she was driving with no visible tags. Officers broke out the cuffs again when they discovered her license was revoked for a previous DUI.

Lien is working on quite the rap sheet near her Tennessee home. She was also charged in 2015 for exposing herself to children under the age of 13 -- although it was later dismissed when she paid restitution.

The suspicious man who showed up on William Shatner's property uninvited a couple weeks ago recently returned to the same spot, and took off once again before cops could talk to him.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... the same guy who was busted by a neighbor peering into the 'Star Trek' legend's house in January before running away came back for another peek.

We're told he climbed a tree in Shatner's yard when the same neighbor who saw him the first time approached him again and asked what he was doing, to which he replied ... "I work with children." The man allegedly then started singing and bolted.

Our sources tell us LAPD's investigating the situation, and is once again trying to track the guy down to see what his deal is.