Prince William said our focus should be on saving and repairing the Earth, not engaging in space tourism.
In an interview with BBC’s Newscast, the Duke of Cambridge said that great brains and minds should be trying to repair that planet on which we live, not competing to race into space.
The comments were the first commentary from within the British royal family about the billionaire space race.
The prince made the comments during an interview about the climate crisis ahead of his first Earthshot prize awards. It came after news that William Shatner, a 90-year-old actor, made history by becoming the oldest person in space after a ride on the Blue Origin rocket, the space travel company owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. The rocket ride lasted about 10 minutes.
In an interview with Newscast on BBC Sounds, Prince Wiliam said: “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.”
The royal’s plea to save earth first was especially aimed at the three of the world’s richest men, Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, and Richard Branson, who continue pursuing space travel.
Shather hit back at the criticism, saying William had the “wrong idea” about what the space race stood for. Shatner had said the trip reinforced his convictions that people need to take better care of the planet.
But when Jeff Bezos went to space a few weeks ago in his first voyage with Blue Origin, the 10 minute jaunt cost about $5.5 billion. Money that could be better spent trying to repair the place in which we live, insinuated Prince William.
The Duke of Cambridge also spoke to the attendees of the upcoming UN Climate Summit, known as COP26. World leaders will be in Glasgow at the end of the month for the conference, which runs for the first two weeks of November. He warned the attendees against “clever words but not enough action.”
Prince William said that it was imperative for COP to communicate clearly and honestly what the problems are and what the direct solutions are going to be.
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