William Shatner Going To Space With Bezos’ Blue Origin Next Week
Topline
90-year-old actor William Shatner, best known for his role as Captain Kirk on “Star Trek,” will head to space with Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin on October 12 on the commercial spaceflight company’s second-ever human flight.
Actor William Shatner on the main stage during “Star Trek: Mission New York” day 3 at Javits Center … [+]
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Key Facts
Shatner, 90, called the ability to go to space “a miracle” and said he’s ready for the chance “to see it himself,” according to a Blue Origin announcement.
The actor, who also hosts the History channel show The UnXplained, will be joined by Audrey Powers, Blue Origin’s Vice President of Mission & Flight Operations and crewmates Chris Boshuizen and Glen de Vries.
The group will blast off aboard the New Shepard shuttle next Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. CT from West Texas.
Key Background
Bezos traveled to space in July with his brother on the New Shepard. His journey was part of what’s been dubbed the Billionaire space race. Richard Branson and his company Virgin Galactic soared through the atmosphere that same month. Though Elon Musk has yet to launch himself into space, his company SpaceX shot four civilians into the stars this month. Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin perform suborbital space flights — when a rocket ascends to the edge of space for only a few minutes before returning back to land.
Tangent
Bezos and Musk are also locked in a close battle for who is the wealthiest person in the world, according to Forbes real-time tracker.
Further Reading
‘The Vehicles Are Ready To Fly’ As Blue Origin Prepares To Send Jeff Bezos To Space (Forbes)
Jeff Bezos Successfully Takes Off On Blue Origin’s First Crewed Spaceflight (Forbes)
Virgin Galactic CEO Explains What’s Next After Billionaire Richard Branson’s Successful Spaceflight (Forbes)
SpaceX Inspiration4 Mission Launches Four Space Tourists On Orbital Tour Of Earth (Forbes)
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