Have questions about space you’ve always wanted to ask an expert?
This Friday (Dec. 20), several cultural and scientific icons including “Star Trek” star William Shatner, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, Apollo 16 moonwalker Charlie Duke as well as astronauts Scott Kelly and José Hernández will answer selected questions from an Antarctica-bound luxurious expedition vessel on the Space2Sea Voyage of Legends organized by the FUTURE of SPACE initiative.
Using SpaceX’s Starlink internet connectivity, the webinar will stream live from the waters of Drake Passage, and you can tune in here on Friday at 9 a.m. ET (1400 GMT). A YouTube embed will appear on this page at start time.
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The luminaries, along with over 200 guests, will set sail to the southernmost continent on Thursday (Dec. 19) from Ushuaia, Argentina. The 10-day voyage, which includes stops on an island near the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula and several landing zones on the peninsula itself, aims to bridge the wonders of outer space with the pressing challenges we face on Earth, the FUTURE of SPACE initiative, which organized the ongoing expedition, said in a statement to Space.com.
“More than just a physical expedition, it serves as a powerful metaphor for our future — one that calls for global cooperation and shared responsibility for our planet and beyond,” the statement read.
The illustrious group onboard will be Canadian actor William Shatner, who is best known for playing Captain James T. Kirk in the original “Star Trek” TV series over half a century ago. He became the oldest person to travel to space in 2021 at the age of 90, and is expected to share inspiring stories from his journey to space.
Neil deGrasse Tyson will answer questions about the mysteries of the universe, while Charlie Duke, José Hernández and Scott Kelly will answer questions about space travel, according to the event website. Hernández is also expected to talk about his inspiring journey from working the fields in California to pursuing his dream of flying into space as STS-128 mission specialist on space shuttle Discovery, in 2009. His story was documented in a 2023 biopic “A Million Miles Away.”
The stellar line-up of guests also includes ocean conservationist and filmmaker Céline Cousteau and British architectural artist Stephen Wiltshire, ultimately resulting in an event spanning the domains of space, science, art and environmental conservation.
“By bringing together pioneers from different disciplines, we are creating a unique platform for cross-disciplinary dialogue,” Daniel Fox, co-founder of the FUTURE of SPACE initiative, said in a news release.
The event has received lots of questions from eager students around the world, Janet Ivey-Duensing, creator of the award-winning children’s TV show Janet’s Planet, who will be moderating the webinar, told Space.com in an email.
Queries specific to space include a question by Hashim S., a 15-year-old from Karachi, Pakistan for Tyson: “What’s one unsolved mystery in space science that keeps you up at night, and what could its answer mean for our understanding of the universe? Are you an alien?”
Ivanna V., a nine-year-old from Monterrey, México, requests advice for girls who want to get into space but aren’t U.S. citizens, while Aza O., an 8th grader from Bowen Island, British Columbia, asks Cousteau how our planet is doing.
That the legends will come together to answer these questions and more “feels like a moment where dreams and reality intersect,” said Ivey-Duensing.
“I believe that after listening to these amazing humans, we will all be inspired to explore and be even more curious about the vastness of space and the depths of the sea, and also to be better stewards of our precious planet Earth.”
Tune in to the FUTURE of SPACE’s Space2Sea Voyage of Legends Live from Antarctica wbinar on Friday, Dec. 20, at 9 a.m. ET (1400 GMT).