Next week, William Shatner, our Captain Kirk will fly into space, boldly going where no other sci-fi hero has gone before.
Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos’ spaceflight company, said on Monday that “Star Trek” star William Shatner will rocket from West Texas on Oct. 12.
“Yes, it’s true; I’m going to be a ‘rocket man!’” the 90-year-old tweeted. He added: “It’s never too late to experience new things.”
Bezos, the founder of Amazon, is a major fan of the sci-fi series. He even appeared in the 2016 film “Star Trek Beyond” as a high-ranking alien. Shatner got an invitation to fly as a guest of his rocket firm.
William Shatner will set the record for the oldest person to fly to space. Onboard a Blue Origin capsule, he’ll join three individuals, two of whom are paying clients. He’ll be the second actor to travel to the edge of space this month. On Tuesday, Russia will send an actress and a film director to the International Space Station for nearly two weeks of filming.
Shatner’s flight, on the other hand, will last only 10 minutes. It will reach a maximum altitude of around 66 miles (106 kilometers). The capsule will land on the desert floor not far from where it was lifted off by a parachute.
Space tourism is rapidly gaining traction, whether on short or lengthy voyages.
In July, Virgin Galactic took founder Richard Branson and five people to the edge of space. It was nine days later after Bezos’ space flight. Last month, Elon Musk’s SpaceX launched its first private crew. A Pennsylvania entrepreneur who paid for the three-day voyage and brought along two contest winners and a cancer survivor.
The ship of Virgin Galactic is launched from an airplane and requires two pilots to operate. The capsules from Blue Origin and SpaceX are entirely automatic. But passengers must pass medical exams and be able to climb many flights of stairs at the launch tower. It is to get to the capsule – or out of it in an emergency.
Blue Origin will be launching a crew for the second time.
On July 20, Bezos was on the inaugural flight. He brought his 18-year-old brother from the Netherlands. Also, an 82-year-old aviation pioneer Wally Funk. Both, the youngest and oldest people fly in space. By eight years, Shatner will surpass the upper limit.
“I’ve heard about space for a long time now. I’m taking the opportunity to see it for myself. What a miracle,” Shatner said in a statement.
From 1966 until 1969, Shatner played the commander of the USS Starship Enterprise for three seasons. He also directed one of the seven films in which he played Captain James T. Kirk. He’s currently the host and executive producer of “The UnXplained,” a History Channel show.
Following their deaths, the ashes of two other “Star Trek” legends — creator Gene Roddenberry and actor James Doohan, who played Scotty — were launched into space years ago.
Shatner will be joined by a former NASA engineer who founded a nanosatellite startup and the co-founder of a clinical research software company. The two took part in the auction for a first-class seat. Blue Origin isn’t disclosing any other ticket pricing, but as per reports, one seat costs $28 million.
Blue Origin’s vice president of mission and flight operations, who previously worked for NASA as a space station flight controller, will take the fourth seat on the journey.
Shatner, like the others, met all of Blue Origin’s health and physical standards, according to a business spokesman.
More than 20 current and former Blue Origin employees accused the corporation of having a toxic work atmosphere and failing to follow necessary safety measures last week. Blue Origin stated that it does not allow harassment or discrimination and that its safety record is flawless.
In addition, Bezos’ business is contesting a NASA contract awarded to SpaceX for the development of a lunar lander that will send astronauts to the moon in a few years. Blue Origin’s bid for the job was unsuccessful.
