[bitontheslide]

The actor who played Captain Kirk in the Star Trek series is set to embark on a real-life journey into space.

US tech billionaire Jeff Bezos's space travel company Blue Origin confirmed that William Shatner would be blasting off from Texas on 12 October.

Aged 90, the actor will become the oldest person to have flown into space.

"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.

Shatner will be joining three other people aboard Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket for the company's second human spaceflight.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos joined the first crewed flight in July, along with his brother, an 82-year-old pioneer of the space race, and an 18-year-old student.

As with the previous flight, the October voyage is expected to last about 10 minutes and will take the crew just beyond the Karman Line - the most widely recognised boundary of space that lies 100km (60 miles) above the Earth.

Blue Origin said its vice president of mission and flight operations, Audrey Powers, would also be on board the flight, as well as a former Nasa engineer and the co-founder of a software company specialising in clinical research.

A Canadian actor, Shatner famously played Captain James T Kirk of the USS Enterprise in the original Star Trek TV series in the 1960s, and later appeared in films of the franchise.

New Shepard, built by Bezos' company Blue Origin, is designed to serve the burgeoning market for space tourism.

Dubbed "NewSpace", an increasing number of entrepreneurs are joining in the race to create cheap, commercialised space travel.

Bezos's Blue Origin hit headlines in recent days after 21 current and former employees claimed it had ignored safety concerns to gain an advantage in the space race, and complained of a culture of sexism.

Blue Origin rejected the charges and said it stands by its safety record.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-58792761

[LeatherTrumpet]

[arista]

Will he pass the Medical?
he is very old at 90

[michael21]

Originally Posted by arista

Will he pass the Medical?
he is very old at 90

He needs to sign papers no need for medical

[Gusto Brunt]

Shatner is more like mid-60s than 90. I hope he enjoys his flight.

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by Gusto Brunt

Shatner is more like mid-60s than 90. I hope he enjoys his flight.

He was born in 1931?

this is iconic though, couldn't think of a better person to blast into space

[Livia]

While I adore William Shatner, I'm not happy about all the crap that they'll be once again blasting straight into the stratosphere.

[bitontheslide]

Originally Posted by Gusto Brunt

Shatner is more like mid-60s than 90. I hope he enjoys his flight.

he is most certainly 90

[Gusto Brunt]

Originally Posted by Cherie

He was born in 1931?

this is iconic though, couldn't think of a better person to blast into space

Yes.

[Gusto Brunt]

Originally Posted by bitontheslide

he is most certainly 90

In years but not in mind and spirit.

[LaLaLand]

Amazing. Good for him! Love the Shatner.

[LeatherTrumpet]

i am currently rewatching series one of the original series on da 'Flix

utter brilliance

[parmnion]

His skeleton wont take that, is he mad?

[michael21]

On sky news HD now

[Nicky91]

yes a successful flight

https://www.msn.com/en-us/entertainm...cid=uxbndlbing

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/ne...50%20a.m.%20PT.

[LeatherTrumpet]

The final front ear

[michael21]

Originally Posted by LeatherTrumpet

The final front ear

No that the other one with ears

[parmnion]

I'm spocked his bones lasted.

[Nicky91]

Youtube video

[joeysteele]

Hey, really well done to him.
A dream come true for him.

[Vanessa]

I love Star Trek.

[Nicky91]

Originally Posted by Vanessa

I love Star Trek.

last year, he also did ''star trek style'' lockdown logs on his twitter account i noticed

[Nicky91]

https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2021/10/1...ris-boshuizen/

here also some info regarding the other crew members


Glen de Vries, chief executive and co-founder of Medidata Solutions, a clinical trial software company. De Vries is also Vice Chair Life Sciences and Healthcare at Dassault Systèmes

Chris Boshuizen, a co-founder of Planet Labs, a company that builds small satellites used for monitoring Earth from orbit As mentioned, Boshuizen is one of the first paying customers following Oliver Daemen, an 18-year-old from the Netherlands.


Aubrey Powers, is Blue Origin vice president, Powers reportedly oversees New Shepard flight operations.

[arista]

[Prince William slams the billionaires'
space race and says they should focus on
fixing Earth's problems first – in stunning intervention hours
after Amazon chief Jeff Bezos sent Star Trek's
William Shatner into orbit]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/a...pace-race.html

[bitontheslide]

Originally Posted by arista

[Prince William slams the billionaires'
space race and says they should focus on
fixing Earth's problems first – in stunning intervention hours
after Amazon chief Jeff Bezos sent Star Trek's
William Shatner into orbit]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/a...pace-race.html

the world isn't meant to be deadly serious all the time. If people cant have a bit of fun and enjoyment, what's the point in living

The "Royals" really need to give it a break