William Shatner is set to become the oldest ever person to journey into space, as he takes part in a flight on the New Shepherd rocket today.
The 90-year-old Canadian actor, best known for his role as Captain James T. Kirk on Star Trek, will be on a flight operated by Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin aerospace company.
Originally the New Shepard NS-18 flight was scheduled for Tuesday (October 12) but was delayed due to windy weather at the Texas launch site.
The flight should take approximately ten minutes as the rocket climbs to a maximum altitude of just above 100km.
Joining Shatner on the flight is Blue Origin Vice President Audrey Powers, former Nasa engineer Chris Boshuizen and Medidata CEO Glen de Vries.
Special delivery: #NS18 astronauts put pen to postcard ahead of their flight. When they take to the skies, they’ll boldly go where no mail carrier has gone before. #postcardstospace 🚀 pic.twitter.com/FjG4TR42we
— Club for the Future (@clubforfuture) October 12, 2021
Speaking on the flight Shatner said: "There is this mystique of being in space and that much closer to the stars and being weightless.
"I shall be entranced by the view of space. I want to look at that orb and appreciate its beauty and its tenacity."
Less than three months ago Jeff Bezos made the first ever trip aboard the New Shephard rocket
How to watch the William Shatner space journey live
The lift-off has been rescheduled for 8.30am CDT (2.30pm BST), with a livestream of the mission beginning 90 minutes before the launch.
The livestream is being shown on the Blue Origin YouTube channel.
Share