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Michael Strahan reveals what he's packing for space flight: How other stars feel about space travel

Michael Strahan is the latest famous face with plans of blasting off into space.

The former football player and "Good Morning America" anchor announced in November that he would be taking off into the sky with Blue Origin's third human spaceflight on Dec. 9.

"Blue Origin – they approached me and without hesitation, I said 'yes,' " Strahan said. "I'm going to space!"

Strahan told co-anchors Robin Roberts and George Stephanopoulos his experience seeing the first launch was "mind-blowing," adding that he was "enamored" by the innovation and creativity of spaceflight.

The 50-year-old anchor, whose space journey officially begins Thursday, gave an update on what he's bringing along.

Strahan told People on Tuesday that he's bringing a small collection of earthly mementos with him, including "a pearl necklace from his girlfriend Kayla Quick's late grandmother, his ABC and FOX employee ID cards and a lucky $2 bill."

That's not all. Strahan will also take "12 shell casings from the 12-gun salute performed at his father Gene's funeral, his Super Bowl XLII Ring, his Pro Football Hall of Fame Ring of Excellence and two watches: a pocket watch that belonged to his maternal grandfather and a rare De Bethune DB28 Kind of Blue timepiece with a celestial face and moon-phase function."

Here's what other celebs are saying about going to space.

Pro Football Hall of Famer and “Good Morning America” host Michael Strahan has tested positive for COVID-19 and is self-quarantining.
Pro Football Hall of Famer and “Good Morning America” host Michael Strahan has tested positive for COVID-19 and is self-quarantining.

Tom Hanks

Tom Hanks is not as excited as Strahan is to go to space.

During an appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Nov. 2, Hanks revealed he was offered the opportunity to join Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin human spaceflight, which launched from the aerospace company's West Texas launch site Oct. 11. “Star Trek” actor William Shatner went on to join the flight instead. Hanks said his decision to turn down the offer ultimately came down to the financial logistics of the flight.

“It costs 28 million bucks or something like that,” Hanks told Kimmel, “I’m doing good, Jimmy. I’m doing good, but I ain’t paying 28 (million) bucks.”

William Shatner

The "Star Trek" veteran has boldly gone boldly where no man (his age) has gone before.

Shatner joined Blue Origin for their second human spaceflight on Oct. 13. The 90-year-old actor became the oldest person to visit space, and upon landing back on Earth he said the experience was "unlike anything they described."

"Everybody in the world needs to do this. Everybody in the world needs to see it," Shatner said of the experience. "It was unbelievable. The little things – the weightless – but to see the blue color (of the sky) whip by you and now you're staring into blackness. … And then it's gone. It was so moving. This experience did something unbelievable. "

'We all need a wake-up call': William Shatner is still reeling from his trip to space

Shatner was joined by three other passengers who were launched in a New Shepard rocket from the aerospace company's West Texas launch site.

Prince William

Prince William has no plans of space travel anytime soon. A day after Shatner said "everybody in the world" should see the final frontier, the royal insisted the world's focus should be "fixed on trying to repair this planet."

"That really is quite crucial, we need to be focusing on this (planet) rather than giving up and heading out into space to try and think of solutions for the future," the 39-year-old royal told BBC Newscast on Oct 14.

The Duke of Cambridge added that his pilot experience still doesn't spark his curiosity in space travel.

More: Prince William blasts space tourism, says focus should be on trying to 'repair this planet'

"I have absolutely no interest in going that high," William said. "I'm a pilot ... but I stay reasonably close to the ground. I've been up to 65,000 feet once in a plane and that was truly terrifying."

Katy Perry

In late 2010, pop princess Katy Perry bought a reported $200,000 Virgin Galactic ticket for then-fiance Russell Brand and eventually purchased a ticket for herself, according to MTV News.

"I'm so into extraterrestrial stuff,” Perry told MTV News at the time. “It's very difficult for me to look up into the sky in the middle of the night and not think that our planet is one of ... a bajillion. It's really, really small.

“And Russell and I are interested in anything extraterrestrial. I mean, we're going to space.”

Ashton Kutcher

With a purchased ticket, actor Ashton Kutcher had plans to board a Virgin Galactic flight. But Kutcher told Cheddar News in July that he sold his ticket back to the company after a conversation with wife Mila Kunis.

"When I got married and had kids, my wife basically encouraged that it was not a smart family decision to be heading into space when we have young children," Kutcher said.

Cameron Diaz

“Charlie’s Angels” star Cameron Diaz said she would enjoy the opportunity to head into space as part of the progression of humanity.
“Charlie’s Angels” star Cameron Diaz said she would enjoy the opportunity to head into space as part of the progression of humanity.

In 2014, “Charlie’s Angels” star Cameron Diaz said she would enjoy the opportunity to head into space as part of the progression of humanity.

“I would love to go to space – it really is the next frontier,” Diaz said, according to The Indian Express. “Humans have to move off this planet at some point. We’re explorers: That’s what we do.”

Michael Fassbender

Michael Fassbender, who co-starred with Charlize Theron in the sci-fi adventure film “Prometheus,” said he would blast off into the cosmos without hesitation.

"If I had a chance to go into space, I'd definitely take it," Fassbender said, according to Fox News.

Charlize Theron

Fassbender’s “Prometheus” co-star Theron told The Daily Mail in 2012 that she also shares an interest in intergalactic travel.

“I'm open to all of that stuff,” Theron told the outlet. “I'm sure it would be scary, but hopefully I'd just be going to see what it looks like, so I'd be coming back. I wouldn't miss anything here because I try to live in the present."

Paris Hilton

In the late 2000s, socialite and former reality television star Paris Hilton reportedly bought a ticket for the Virgin Galactic Enterprise spaceflight. Even with her purchase made, Hilton said she had concerns.

“I'm very scared to do it: What if I don't come back?” Hilton said at the time, according to The Guardian. “With the whole light-years thing, what if I come back 10,000 years later and everyone I know is dead? I'll be like, 'Great. Now I have to start all over.'"

Lance Bass

Singer and former NSYNC member Lance Bass’ space dreams were dashed in 2002 due to financing.

Bass was set to take off from Kazakhstan on a Russian Space Agency flight as part of a seven-part TV documentary, according to Billboard. However, when TV producers couldn’t pay the estimated $20 million price tag, Bass was sent packing.

In 2002, singer Lance Bass was set to take off from Kazakhstan on a Russian Space Agency spaceflight, as part of a seven-part TV documentary.
In 2002, singer Lance Bass was set to take off from Kazakhstan on a Russian Space Agency spaceflight, as part of a seven-part TV documentary.

Speaking to reporters at NASA's Johnson Space Center, where he was training for the flight at the time, Bass said even if things didn’t work out, he wouldn’t give up.

"I would work my butt off trying to go for another mission."

Contributing: Jenna Ryu; Robin Opsahl, Des Moines Register

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Michael Strahan, Tom Hanks, and more stars talk about trips to space