‘Star Trek’ Icon William Shatner Will Finally Travel To Space, Thanks To Jeff Bezos

Attention, 'Star Trek' fans: Captain James T. Kirk is blasting off into space with Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin rocket next week.

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October 4, 2021 6:05PM EDT
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In this May 22, 2017 photo, William Shatner poses for a portrait on in Los Angeles. As "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" marks its 35th anniversary with a return to theaters for special screenings next week, star Shatner is celebrating more than his long history as Captain Kirk. At 86, the stalwart entertainer is busier than ever William Shatner Portrait Session, Los Angeles, USA - 22 May 2017
Actor William Shatner will fly onboard New Shepard NS-18 along with Audrey Powers, Blue Origin's Vice President of Mission & Flight Operations, and crewmates Chris Boshuizen and Glen de Vries, which is scheduled to lift off from Launch Site One in Texas on October 13, 2021. Shatner, who originated the role of "Captain James T. Kirk" in 1966 for the television series Star Trek, has long wanted to travel to space and will become the oldest person to have flown to space. Blue Origin Prepares to Launch William Shatner on New Shepard's 18th Mission, Washington, District of Columbia, United States - 11 Oct 2021
Lisabeth Shatner,Melanie Shatner, William Shatner Star Trek TV series 1978-1979 Party October 4, 1979: Los Angeles, CA Lisabeth Shatner,Melanie Shatner, William Shatner Star Trek TV series 1978-1979 Party Photo®Berliner Studio/BEImages
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Jeff Bezos’ aerospace company Blue Origin just announced major news for the Star Trek fandom: Captain James T. Kirk is headed to space. William Shatner, beloved for his role as the captain of the USS Enterprise in the sci-fi franchise, will join the next Blue Origins flight on October 12, blasting off into the cosmos from West Texas.

The actor, 90, will join Audrey Powers, Blue Origin’s VP of mission and flight operations, and two other passengers for the trip on the New Shepherd rocket, making him the oldest person to travel to space. William confirmed the news on Twitter on October 4 with a tweet that read, “Yes, it’s true; I’m going to be a ‘rocket man!'”

William and co.’s October flight will be the second New Shepherd rocket launch. Jeff made the debut Blue Origin flight on July 20 alongside his brother Mark, iconic aviator Mary Wallace “Wally” Funk, and Dutch teen Oliver Daemen. The Amazon founder is a well-documented fan of the Star Trek franchise. He made a cameo in the 2016 film Star Trek Beyond alongside Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto.

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Patrick Stewart and William Shatner in ‘Star Trek Generations’ (Mary Evans/Ronald Grant/Everett Collection)

As a result, the billionaire invited William on as a guest. “I’ve heard about space for a long time now,” William cheekily said in a press release, per AP. “I’m taking the opportunity to see it for myself. What a miracle.” The entire journey is expected to take 11 minutes.

William became a cultural icon in the 1960s for his portrayal of Captain Kirk in the Star Trek TV series. He has starred in seven Star Trek films. The star is also host and executive producer of History Channel’s The UnXplained, a series that follows the world’s strangest mysteries, including the existence of aliens, making him an ideal space passenger.

While William will make history as the oldest space passenger, Jeff’s launch into space is not the first time a billionaire has made the trek to the stars. Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson bested the Amazon founder when he made the journey first on July 11 while onboard his company’s spacecraft.