TheShuttleExperience
Well-known member
Definitely not. I'm often surprised about the negative perception of being old by people. Being old doesn't mean one has to be restricted. If you have a good disposition and take good care of yourself and if you love life then you can enjoy life and do stuff well beyond 80 and 90. My grandpa drove his motorbike beyond the age of 80 and he only stopped because my grandma was worried...Shatner exits the capsule pretty much as he went in... 90 years is not the limit in space.
A non-scientific short-term spaceflight is just a little more demanding than a usual passenger flight with a jet airplane. You get more g's during ascent and entry and of course zero gravity but that's it. I could imagine that zero gravity actually feels great when you have very old bones and joints
I would claim that almost anyone, even certain disabled people, could travel into space without any issues and with only minor preparation, including old ones. The high standards for professional astronauts are actually due to the efforts and budget required for complex scientific missions, especially long-term flights. But even this certainly could be accomplished by "normal" people if you are just passionate enough and get the required training. I bet some of us here in the community could go on a two or three weeks stay onboard the ISS, or even longer, with maybe 6 months training prior and also participate in and perform scientific experiments.