"Star Trek's" William Shatner, who played the role of Captain James T. Kirk in the franchise, is set to be the oldest person to fly to space when Blue Origin's second crewed flight launches on October 12. Shatner is 90 years old.
Shatner is one of the four passengers of Blue Origin's next crewed flight, which will also include the space company's vice president of mission and flight operations.
'Star Trek's' William Shatner to be the Oldest Person to Fly to Space
"Star Trek's" very own Captain James T. Kirk will make history as the oldest person to fly to space when Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin launches its second crewed flight on October 12.
90-year-old William Shatner will join three other passengers aboard the New Shepard's next flight. Blue Origin's second crewed mission, which is called NS-18, is scheduled for launch at 8:30 a.m. local time, according to a report by Space.
Until then, Wally Funk, who was one of the passengers in Blue Origin's maiden crewed flight, holds the title of the oldest person to fly to space. She was 82 years old when the New Shepard launched into space last July.
A separate report by Space quoted the "Star Trek" star during his appearance on NBC's "Today Show."
"I'm going to see the vastness of space and the extraordinary miracle of our Earth and how fragile it is compared to the forces at work in the universe."
Related Article: Jeff Bezos is Going To Space With an 82-Year-Old Aerospace Pioneer
Blue Origin's NS-18 Mission
Two incredible and inspirational people will join the #NS18 crew. Actor @WilliamShatner and Blue Origin’s Vice President of Mission & Flight Operations Audrey Powers @AudreyKPowers. pic.twitter.com/xqI9nw1KX8
— Blue Origin (@blueorigin) October 4, 2021
The NS-18 mission is Blue Origin's second crewed flight, which will launch from Blue Origin's Launch Site One in Texas.
The flight will have no pilot as the New Shepard has an automated system. Joining the "Star Trek" star on the list of passengers for the NS-18 mission are the following:
Audrey Powers - Blue Origin's vice president of mission and flight operations
Chris Boshuizen - Co-founder of Earth observation company Planet (otherwise known as Planet Labs)
Glen de Vries - Life sciences and healthcare vice chair of Dassault Systèmes
While it is the New Shepard's second crewed flight, the Blue Origin spacecraft has actually already performed 17 flights prior to the NS-18 mission.
The flight is expected to last for 11 minutes. Should the second crewed flight be similar to the New Shepard's previous flights, the spacecraft will go beyond the Kármán line, the recognized boundary of space.
How to Watch the NS-18 Mission
Want to watch "Star Trek's" Captain James T. Kirk as he actually flies to space in real life? You totally can!
According to the report by Space, the launch of Blue Origin's NS-18 mission will be broadcast on the company's official website. The report indicated a "likely" starting time of 8:00 a.m. EDT. Liftoff is expected to take place at 9:30 a.m. EDT.
Also Read: Blue Origin Breaks Multiple Guinness World Records for its First Crewed Mission with Jeff Bezos
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Written by Isabella James
