Blue Origin confirms Star Trek’s Captain Kirk to travel into space

Blue Origin, the space travel company owned by Jeff Bezos, announced on Monday that William Shatner, Canadian actor who played Captain Kirk in the famous sci-fi series Star Trek, will be rocketing into the space on 12 October.

In fact, 90-year-old Shatner will be the oldest person to fly to the space. Shatner said, “I’ve heard about space for a long time now. I’m taking the opportunity to see it for myself. What a miracle.”

He’ll join three others — two of them paying customers — aboard a Blue Origin capsule. It will be the company’s second launch with a crew.

Bezos was on the debut flight in July, along with his brother and the youngest and oldest to fly in space. Shatner will break that upper threshold by six years.

Also flying with Shatner: a former NASA engineer who founded a nanosatellite company; the co-founder of a software company specializing in clinical research; and a Blue Origin employee. The up-and-down space hop will last 10 minutes and reach no higher than about 66 miles (106 kilometers).